Glendale Community College to cut cheer program

Glendale Community College’s award-winning cheer program will likely be dropped from the school catalog this fall in an effort to save $25,000 annually, officials said.

The program has been put on the chopping block as college officials scour the 2013-14 budget for cost savings.

Although the cheer team has been sponsored by the college’s athletic funds, it is not an official intercollegiate sport. And during tough times, Glendale Community College can no longer afford to keep it on the books, said Paul Schlossman, dean of student affairs.

The funding priority belongs to the college’s sports teams that are sanctioned by the California Community College Athletic Assn., he added.

Schlossman is among a group of budget managers on campus who were tasked to find places to trim for savings.

“It’s not an easy decision” Schlossman said of cutting the cheer program. “At this point in time, it’s one that has to be made. We do have some funding realities.”

The cheer program has brought Glendale Community College notoriety at cheer competitions, said Jessie Moorehead, who has coached the team for the past several years.

A handful of squad members performed as cheerleaders in a commercial earlier this year for Snickers that featured actor Robin Williams.

Each year the team typically raises about $42,000 for travel expenses to compete in competitions across the country, Moorehead said.

More than 50 students belonged on the team this year. The next cheer tryouts are in mid-May.

Moorehead said she hopes the cheer team can make a smooth transition into a club, raising thousands of dollars to continue to travel to competitions and cheer on Glendale’s teams.

“We’ll be doing the same thing,” she said. “The kids are already on board and ready to go.”

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Follow Kelly Corrigan on Twitter: @kellymcorrigan.