Local News - January 2004

School board vote on cheerleading expected

Published January 12, 2004

By SARAH GRANO, Staff Writer

————————————

A crowd of girls holding pom-poms and signs can be expected at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting.

The board plans to finally settle the issue of whether cheerleading should be implemented in middle schools.

People throughout the community have developed strong opinions on the issue. All four Lincoln County middle school principals have spoken out against implementing cheerleading in their schools.

“I could not go against these principals because they are the people who are in charge of that school, and they should know better than I what is best for that school, not a handful of parents,” said Jean Dellinger, vice chairman of the board.

While Dellinger maintains that the majority of parents in the county do not want cheerleading in middle schools, a very vocal group of parents have come out in favor of it.

More than 700 signatures in favor of cheerleading have been collected throughout the county in the past few months.

The November Board of Education meeting had five parents speak in favor of cheerleading in middle schools, and the meeting room was crowded with girls in cheerleading uniforms.

“Cheerleading is not a popularity contest. It is a skill,” said Dawn Reep, a parent.

In 1989 when Lincoln County junior high schools made the transition to middle schools, cheerleading was dropped.

The new middle school concept emphasized inclusion, and cheerleading was deemed too competitive and exclusive.

The middle school principals see pep squads as an alternative to cheerleading.

“Kids come out, and they try out,” said Bobby Harkey, principal of Pumpkin Center Middle School. “If they don’t like it, they quit, but we don’t quit them.”

Lincoln County middle schools do have sports that involve tryouts and cuts, such as football and basketball.

“You’ve got to have equal rights,” said Joan Avery, a board member who is in favor of cheerleading. “They just have to learn that if you don’t make it this year you should try out again next year.”

Not all board members have voiced strong opinions, but at the Board of Education’s policy committee meeting, an agreement on whether to approve of cheerleading in middle schools could not be reached.

The board did decide, however, that the debate on cheerleading will end with a vote on Wednesday night.

—————

Staff Writer Sarah Grano can be reached at 704-735-3031 or sgrano@ltnews.com

——–———————

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

Terms and Conditions