Ludlow School Committee Unanimously Votes to Make Cheerleading an Official Sport

School Committee · Meeting of June 9, 2026

Ludlow School Committee votes to make cheerleading a sport and advances a cell phone ban policy that could unlock $50,000 in state grants. The committee voted unanimously Tuesday to formally classify the Ludlow High School cheerleading program as a sport, ending years of informal alignment with athletic standards without official recognition; the team won the Western Massachusetts championship this year and already operates under physicals, concussion protocols, and a no-fail academic policy. Athletic Director Tim Brillo confirmed the team is fully integrated into the district's athletics program.

The committee also opened a student activity fundraising account for the Harvard Model Congress program after student co-presidents McKenzie and Morgan and club advisor Ms. Anderson requested a formal mechanism to raise money and reduce per-student costs. On policy, Dr.

Jeff Stratton led a first reading of a cell phone restriction aligned to pending state legislation, noting the district would be eligible for up to $50,000 in grant funding for phone-storage devices if it has a qualifying policy in place. Student liaison Vivian Lonczak, attending her first meeting, told the committee that phone use at the high school is present but inconsistently enforced. The committee bid farewell to Superintendent Frank Tiano, who received a citation from the Massachusetts House and Senate presented by State Senator Jake Olivera honoring his 36-year career and four years in Ludlow; the committee formally evaluated him as proficient across all four state leadership standards.

In the full story:

• The key policies reviewed were
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,991 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of June 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.