Students and parents urge competitive cheer and a stadium at Council Rock South

A steady stream of students, coaches and parents urged the Council Rock School District board on Jan. 22 to expand extracurricular opportunities at Council Rock South, especially by establishing a competitive cheer program and moving the South stadium conversation forward.

"We need a stadium, a pool," said Joshua Morris, a junior at Council Rock South, arguing that South students should not be forced to treat North’s facilities as their home field. "Get us the stadium. Continue the conversation," he said. Students and parents recounted competitive-cheer successes in local feeder programs and asked the board to commit to a program rather than rely solely on a constrained survey of current participants.

Several former and current coaches described how competitive programs can start small and grow. "Under PIAA competitive spirit guidelines, teams compete in divisions based on squad size," said Jill Kearney, a coach and parent, urging the board to allow tryouts and growth rather than limiting initial participation by a pre-screening survey.

Board members acknowledged the vocal public support. The superintendent said administration is "currently working to implement a competitive cheer program at Council Rock South" but did not provide a firm timeline or detailed plan. Community members offered fundraising and operational suggestions, and asked that the board treat parity between North and South as an ongoing priority.

Speakers requested the board put the stadium back on the agenda for February and pledged continued advocacy and volunteer support.