Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors voted unanimously last week to approve job descriptions for two separate positions: a head competitive cheerleading coach and a sideline cheerleading coach. The move is a split from the single combined role that previously covered both programs.

Monday’s motion was amended during the meeting to remove the word “club” from the sideline cheerleading title, a change that itself resolved the longest thread of the debate.

“We looked at the job as it existed as being almost too encompassing to be done really well in terms of one person,” Moser said. “There are individuals who would like to participate in competitive but potentially not participate in sideline, and vice versa — those who would like to be on the sideline squad but not necessarily want to be competitive. The feedback from the board was: let’s think about splitting these into two positions so that the individuals appointed in the future are streamlined and focused on one area or the other, not to conflate the two. We hope to see this move actually increase participation, potentially in both.”

After Moser’s explanation, the discussion pivoted sharply away from coaching structure and toward a question no one had placed on the agenda: would sideline cheerleaders still earn varsity letters?

The issue was triggered by the original motion language, which described the sideline position as a “club advisor” rather than a coach.

That word, club, set off a chain reaction. Parent Autumn Abelovsky asked whether the reclassification meant sideline cheerleaders would lose varsity recognition they had always received.

“I’m sorry this program has suffered so much over the years,” she said. “To take this away from the girls too — my daughter, for her senior year, I would be appalled.”

Moser moved quickly to clarify that stripping varsity letters from sideline cheerleaders was never the intent.

“Competitive cheer would be a varsity sport. Sideline cheer would be a club,” Moser said of the original motion.

“The reality is that we are looking at two different levels of involvement. Some, a lot of kids, are going to do both, and that’s fine.”

The varsity letter question then expanded beyond cheerleading entirely.

Board member Denise Hartley argued that if sideline cheerleading is categorized as a club, consistency would require the district to consider varsity letters for other clubs as well.

“If you are going to consider varsity cheerleading, then debate, Science Olympiad and all of them should be able to receive varsity letters,” Hartley said. “I think it is a good question, but I think you have to look at other activities as well.”

Director Jeremy Glaush said he believed letters for sideline cheerleaders would be appropriate.

“They cheer at the pep rallies, they cheer at senior night, they cheer at all those events and that is an important part of school spirit,” Glaush said.

“I don’t see why they shouldn’t be considered for varsity letters.”

Community member Ryan Bowman offered a more traditional view.

“Varsity letters have always been for sports. Cheerleading is a sport,” Bowman said. “I don’t know why the clubs need to be considered.”

Abelovsky clarified how the program had actually operated before the proposed split.

“The girls have always had the option of cheering for either sideline, competition, or both,” she said. “If they only cheered sideline, they got a varsity letter. If they cheered competition, they got a varsity letter. If they cheered both, they got two varsity letters that year.”

The motion to remove the word “club” from the sideline cheerleading title, making it “sideline cheerleading coach” rather than “sideline cheerleading club advisor” passed unanimously.

“The next step would be to repost both positions separately, contact prior candidates and let them know that they would be considered for either one, their first interview withstanding, because the questions would essentially be the same with some exceptions around specifics,” Moser said.

Stipend amounts for each position, he added, will be set separately and calibrated to reflect the different time commitments each role requires.