Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Cheerleaders Need New Floor

Gurdon's cheerleading squad is one of the best in the nation.

This is evidenced by their rankings in international competition (7th) and the respect they get in contests.

Cindy Duke, the cheerleader sponsor, said when there's a contest, the competition asks if Gurdon is there.

Duke spoke to the Gurdon School Board, Tuesday, Jan. 21, about the needs of her cheerleaders, both the junior and senior squads.

She said a former sponsor put a spring floor in the cheerleader building, but it is in dire need of repair. When the former sponsor put the floor in, Duke said, she expected the district to buy it.

This, though, did not occur. Duke said the cheerleaders' fund is currently exhausted, and they can't afford to buy the floor.

The district, she said, doesn't pay for cheerleading expenses as it is, with it costing $300 to $500 per cheerleader.

Each cheerleader needs two uniforms. The money for this group is raised by the girls, with their parents helping by buying their letter jackets. The girls, Duke said, buy their trophies and senior blankets.

She asked the board if it would consider putting in a budget for the cheerleading squads (junior and senior combined) and purchase a new cheerleading floor.

Duke presented prices for a new spring floor, $3,381.50, and a competition cheerleading floor, which is carpet bonded foam covering, for $2,780. Floor mats, she said, are not desirable.

The bonded foam flooring, Duke told the board, is required for certification by the National Cheerleader Association, and is safer than the spring floors.

In addition, the bonded foam floor covering is used in all cheerleading contests.

"Gurdon has something to be proud of," Duke said of the cheerleaders. "We have a lot of talent there."

The cheerleaders, Duke continued, perform at all football games, are at the home basketball games and the semi-finals and finals in tournaments the Devils are in. Additionally, they perform in all parades in town.

The junior program, the board was told, raises its money from candy sales and gate receipts from the purple/gold game, along with T- shirt sales.

The junior cheerleaders can't sell ads for the programs (this is how the senior squad raises some of its funds), but did collect grocery receipts and was aided by parents.

Bobby Smithson, Gurdon superintendent, said there is no provision for a new floor in the current budget, and suggested putting $3,000 in the budget for one.

"We need other quotes (for floor covering)," he told Duke, asking her to have them by the Feb. meeting.

Duke, who is stepping down as sponsor, said cheerleader tryouts for the 1997-98 school year will be held March 21.

Smithson said the new sponsor needs to meet with him in August when the budgets are prepared for the academic year. However, he added, the sponsor needs to have some figures for a cheerleader budget.

Stan Escalante, a member of the board, said these girls are slighted. He said there are several items for female students which need to be discussed along with the cheerleaders. These, he continued, should be addressed at the Feb. meeting.

The board also heard two transfer requests -- one for a student entering the district and another for one wanting to leave.

An eighth grader from the Arkadelphia district had been expelled for the remainder of the year because of an incident with her stepbrother, ending an ongoing feud with him.

The child was charged with a criminal offense for having a knife on school property.

However, Eric Hughes, an Arkadelphia attorney who represented the girl and her family, told the board she had been going through counseling, receiving praise for her attitude from the counselors.

He said she has also been working with an Arkadelphia nursing home as part of the community service she was ordered to perform by the court.

But, he said, she wants to return to class and salvage the remainder of this year, hopefully finishing out by going to summer school so she can be in the ninth grade next year.

Board member Charles Hatley agreed with Hughes, saying everyone deserves a second chance. The board voted 5-2 in favor of accepting the child, with Billy Tarpley and David Williams casting negative votes.

The other request was from a student wanting to attend Arkadelphia High School.

Her mother said they live six miles from the Arkadelphia school and a great deal further from Gurdon High School.

As a single mother, she told the board, it would be easier for the family to have her in AHS because she, the mother, works in Arkadelphia as well.

However, with the exception of Tommy Overbee, the rest of the board voted to keep the student in the Gurdon district.

Smithson updated the board on the status of the lawsuit against the asphalt company that installed the GHS parking lot.

He said engineering work was done to test the density of the asphalt, along with the compaction of the subgrade. The results of these tests, he said, are not in yet.

But, no court date has been set for the suit as of yet.

The district's calendar came under question by some parents. It seems the midwinter break has been scheduled for Valentine's Day, which upset several people.

A petition was circulated and given to GHS Principal Leonard Gills, asking if the students could be out of class the following Monday and Tuesday, instead of Valentine's Day.

While the board agreed this was an oversight in scheduling, it did nothing to correct the matter for this year.

Smithson said when the Personnel Policy Committee drew up the calendar, with it being approved by the teachers and board, no one noticed the break fell on Feb. 14.

He said this will be considered next year when the calendar is planned, though.

Smithson told the board he had received a letter from the Arkansas State Transportation and Highway Department concerning flashing lights on Highway 67 in front of GHS.

He said the ATHD approved the lights, but they will have to be installed by the county.

These lights, Smithson said, will be attached to the existing speed limit signs on either side of the school.

The board, in executive session, voted to extend Smithson's contract for another year, giving him three on the existing agreement.

Smithson told the panel he had received a letter from Doris Hodge, with the Clark County Youth Development Center, who has written a grant to the Cabe Foundation for the purchase of the old Gurdon Middle School.

He said she will find out in February whether or not the grant is approved.

In addition, he said the district has applied for a $350,000 grant from the Horace Cabe Foundation to help construct a new middle school.