MATTHEWS, N.C. — Butler High School hosted 12 area high schools Saturday for its annual Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps drill competition.
The event showcased the top-ranked JROTC program in North Carolina at the Matthews campus.
The competition highlighted a program where students have secured more than $1 million in scholarship offers. According to program organizers, the JROTC training has led to improved performance in the classroom and significant success in statewide rankings.
The competition began at 8:15 a.m. with a performance of the national anthem by the Butler High School Band in the student parking lot. Following the opening ceremony, 12 schools from across the region competed in various events on the Matthews campus.
Butler High School program is the top-ranked JROTC organization in North Carolina, event officials said. The program maintains this ranking through its performance in archery, drill competitions, honor guard services and weapons demonstrations.
Lieutenant Colonel Ott Siebert serves as the department chair for the Butler High School JROTC. Siebert, a retired member of the U.S. Army, also holds the position of deputy commandant for the JCLC II at Fort Jackson. He leads the program alongside Master Sergeant Richard Day.
The mayor of Matthews and the Board of Commissioners attended the competition, along with representatives from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools senior military staff.
Program leaders said that the military-style training provides a framework that improves student performance in traditional classroom settings. This focus on academic discipline has contributed to the high volume of scholarship offers received by the current class of cadets, officials said.
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