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Students and families urge board to retain Park City High School cheer and dance programs and coaches
Summary
Dozens of students, parents and community members told the board that proposed consolidation of dance classes and uncertainty around coaching threaten competitive opportunities, safety and school spirit; speakers said losing dedicated coaches would diminish college recruitment pathways for some athletes.
Multiple Park City High School students, parents and community members addressed the board during public comment to urge retention of the district's cheer and competitive dance programs and to oppose combining classes that would mix beginner and advanced levels.
Speakers described the programs as important for school spirit and student opportunity. A senior who spoke for the cheer and dance participants said, "If we don't have a coach next year, the spirit rates... will just decrease," and warned that losing the program would reduce community attendance at athletic events and harm students who rely on the activity for motivation and college prospects.
Parents and other family members raised safety and continuity concerns. Lisa Finney, who described herself as a substitute teacher and parent, opposed combining competitive dance with beginning classes and said mixing levels would be "like combining an AP calculus class with beginning algebra" and would be "completely inappropriate." Another parent, Cynthia Estasos, described four years of different cheer coaches and said consistency this year produced measurable growth: "We were really looking forward to next year being able to go out and compete for the first time in 3 or 4 years."
Several student speakers detailed how a combined class of 26 students would strain a single coach's ability to teach technical skills, practice choreography and maintain safety, especially for tumbling and stunting where certified coaching matters. "Liability — having someone that knows what they're doing — can make a huge difference," a student said. Parents also framed the issue as one of competitive opportunity: some athletes said participation on a well-coached squad influences college recruitment.
Board members did not take immediate action at the meeting; several board members acknowledged hearing community concerns and said they would factor public comment into staffing and scheduling discussions for the coming school year.
