Students and parents urge Sachem board not to cut middle‑school and JV cheer; directors say fundraising could cover stipends

Dozens of students, parents and booster‑club leaders spoke at the Sachem Central School District board meeting Wednesday to oppose proposed cuts to fall middle‑school and junior varsity cheer and dance programs and to urge the board to preserve those seasons.

Multiple students described year‑round training and said the fall season is essential to teach routines, build team chemistry and prepare athletes for competition. “Cheer has been a huge part of my life for the last 11 years,” said a freshman who identified herself as Isabella Ruggiero, speaking from the dais. “We use the fall season to teach, learn, and teach and work with all our new teammates to get us strong and ready for the following season.”

Parents and booster‑club officers said fundraising already covers much of their teams’ costs and that restoring a small amount would prevent larger program losses. “Our middle school teams compile about 20 students each. You’re talking about a $135 (per family),” said Theresa Ponce, who described her role as a booster‑club president. She said her club routinely raises more than the $8,000 per team the board identified as a possible savings from eliminating middle‑school and JV fall teams.

Why it matters: Students and coaches said middle‑school and JV seasons are the pipeline to successful varsity programs and that eliminating fall seasons would damage safety, preparation and long‑term competitiveness. Several speakers also argued that the suggested cuts disproportionately affect girls’ teams and questioned the district’s priorities.

What parents and students said - Competitive and developmental importance: multiple speakers told the board that middle‑school and JV fall seasons allow teams to teach skills and build safety practices before the competition season. “You cannot create a routine in 10 days and then perform it and be champions,” said Alex (a board member and former coach speaking in the meeting), echoing student testimony. - Fundraising capacity: booster leaders said local fundraising and donations could make up stipends or other small line‑items the district identified as savings. One parent noted a single fundraiser raised about $14,000 for a program in one year. - Equity concerns: students and parents repeatedly flagged that many of the proposed cuts would affect female‑dominated activities (cheer, dance, arrowettes) and asked why most cuts singled out those teams. - Safety and progression concerns: parents said that skipping preparatory seasons could force students to try complex, potentially dangerous skills for the first time at the varsity level.

District response and possible mitigation District staff acknowledged the parental and student testimony and noted that booster donations can be accepted under district policy; staff described a path in which parents fund stipends or necessary items and the district then covers teams under its insurance umbrella. “Very similar to last year when we had to cut clubs, people fundraised or had donations, and they made those donations back to Sachem,” a district representative said.

Board reaction and next steps Board members said they were hearing the public and that the budget process remains fluid. Several members voiced sympathy for preserving extracurriculars; others emphasized the district must find permanent savings and cautioned that one‑time fundraising cannot replace structural budget fixes. The board encouraged affected groups to provide more detailed, itemized cost breakdowns to show where small restorations would return programs to operation.

Ending: The board did not adopt cuts at this meeting; rather, it left the proposal in a working list while staff prepare more detailed scenarios and the board evaluates next steps. Parents and students were told there would be more opportunities to present information to the board in coming workshops before final adoption.