At the 11/01/16 School Board meeting, Central High School Principal Kelly Slusser spoke warmly about the 69 ROTC students who helped residents of Hernando Beach in the aftermath of Hurricane Hermine with “Operation Gut and Dump.” Slusser stated some of the work over the three-day project involved “ripping out drywall, tile floors, and carpeting.”
Slusser commended the cadets for their efforts and the donation of their time to impact others. The students were also commended for the way they have represented not only their families, but the school and the ROTC program. Major Nolf, Senior Naval Science Instructor, also received a word of thanks from Slusser for being a positive influence on the students. Slusser said that his work with the cadets is shaping the future.
Slusser introduced Sandra Day, who is a booster parent for ROTC. The CHS booster program is ranked first among all the other ROTC programs in Florida, and has held that ranking for 11 of the last 15 years. Of the 636 high school ROTC programs in the nation, Day said Central is consistently noted as an “outstanding unit.”
Day noted that one elderly resident, who was a veteran, commented, “It took them hours what it would have taken me weeks to do.” The work the cadets performed was an invaluable service.
Pointing out that the program still has room for growth, Day said that the Navy provides instructors to teach and train the cadets. Currently, CHS has three instructors. There are 346 students. If there are 350 cadets, the Navy will provide an additional instructor.
Scholarships are awarded to the cadets. According to Day, nearly $13.5 million in scholarship money has been received by cadets at Central over the last 15 years. This provides opportunities for the students they might never have had otherwise. Day commended the instructors for the relationships they have with the cadets, becoming father figures in some cases, but certainly going beyond the instruction in the classroom.
Board chairman Matt Foreman, a graduate of Springstead High School, complimented Central’s ROTC program as “one of the gems…of our community.” He noted that many leaders have graduated from Central and from the ROTC program there, and the school has earned the praise they received.