Montoursville cheerleaders ask board to cover choreography and hotel costs after disrupted trip

Several members of the Montoursville Area School District’s varsity cheer program addressed the board during public comment on May 5, asking the board to continue paying for choreography and to cover hotel expenses from a national trip that was canceled due to weather.

Bren Connelly, a senior varsity cheerleader, described disruptions after the team’s coach stepped away and thanked the board for past support, saying, "Your support shows that you believe in our team, our effort, and what we mean to our community." Karly Lundy said choreography is critical to how teams are scored and thanked the district for covering the cost in recent years; she asked the board to consider continuing that support.

Mia Manat said the team’s national trip to Texas was cut short because of weather and that families had been told by the district before the trip that the district would cover expenses. "We would like to politely request that you cover the expenses for our hotel rooms in Texas so that the cheerleading program can move forward with our season," she said. The board thanked the students for their respectful comments and expressed pride in their resilience; a board member invited former coach Miss Blake to return to teach.

The board did not take formal action on the reimbursement request during the May 5 meeting; students asked the board to consider their request going forward.