Comal ISD officials broke ground on a new multipurpose building at Canyon High School that will house the campus’s Air Force Junior ROTC unit and its career and technical education programs, complete with a flight simulator, an indoor air rifle range, and dedicated space for cadets to train for competitions. The $23.55 million project sits at the New Braunfels campus and is expected to be completed by fall 2027.
The building is funded through Proposition A in Comal ISD’s voter-approved 2021 bond, according to Community Impact. That $411.3 million bond package, approved by district voters in November 2021, funded major facility construction across the district, per Comal Independent School District. Canyon High School Air Force JROTC cadets will get flight time on FAA-certified simulators once the building opens, and students will also have access to two certified FAA simulators as part of the aviation program.
Canyon High serves as Comal ISD’s sole Air Force JROTC campus, a structure the district set up so each of its five high schools represents a distinct military branch, with other campuses housing Army or Navy units, the district notes. The aviation program includes a retired Marine helicopter pilot who flew the president, according to the report. CISD trustee Tim Hennessee said the new space will help the program expand and serve more students.
Cadets See Personal Growth Through the Program
Annabella Chairez, a Canyon High junior and AFJROTC cadet logistics officer, said serving her country has always been her dream. She said the AFJROTC program has helped her become more confident and grow as a person, teaching her things she would not have learned elsewhere. Chairez said she is especially excited about the flight simulator that will come with the new building…