After outcry over gymnastics decision, athletics office pledges review and a pilot for new sports

Montgomery County Public Schools’ athletics office faced sustained public scrutiny on June 4 after it announced plans earlier this year to discontinue high school gymnastics and demonstrated new pilots for emerging sports.

Director of Systemwide Athletics Doctor Sullivan told the board that district and national data show a long-term decline in gymnastics participation — from a larger footprint in the 1980s to seven schools in recent seasons — and that the program this spring rostered about 119 students at preseason and 79 participants late in the season. Sullivan cited difficulty recruiting qualified coaches, rising equipment costs and limited meet participation as factors prompting a recommendation to discontinue gymnastics.

The athletics office acknowledged it did not seek further input from gymnasts and coaches after the initial review and pledged to rectify that omission. "We acknowledge the impact of this omission and appreciate their continued advocacy," Sullivan said, and announced the district would continue gymnastics for the 2026–27 school year while it establishes clearer, transparent metrics and a process for the 2027 season.

Students and advocates pressed the board in public comment, calling the decision emotionally painful and urging a more inclusive review of competitive opportunities. Board members publicly acknowledged the district’s mistake in the stakeholder process and urged swift outreach to the gymnastics community.

At the same time, Sullivan described several program developments the office calls expansions: girls varsity flag football (introduced fall 2025) has grown rapidly and was recently sanctioned by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association; girls wrestling has expanded; and the district piloted "stunt" — a competitive, scored floor routine sport related to cheer and tumbling — with 13 high-school sites and 172 student participants in the initial pilot. Sullivan said stunt has received strong support from principals, athletic directors and student leadership and is recommended for expansion in spring 2027, with startup costs covered by grants.

The presentation also included program budgets (central funds for officials, field maintenance, transportation and security), school-level allocations (average high-school athletic allocation about $46,000) and equity-based criteria used to evaluate programs (transportation, supervision, facilities, Title IX impact and long-term cost). Sullivan said the athletics office will develop clearer, transparent decision metrics and improve stakeholder consultation for future program changes.

Next steps: Athletics will work with the gymnastics community and MCPS leadership to define metrics for the 2027 season, expand the stunt pilot to more schools in 2027, continue Title IX compliance monitoring and provide the board with follow-up metrics and outreach reports.