The high school girls' gymnastics program in Montgomery County, Maryland, got a one-year extension. The institution reversed its February decision to cut the program after officials admitted they failed to follow the protocol.

The director of the Athletics department, Jeffery Sullivan, addressed the Montgomery Board of Education on Thursday. He confirmed that the program will be reinstated.

"As a result, we will continue gymnastics for the 2026-27 school year," Sullivan said, as per WTOP News.

The county's athletics department operates under a seven-step decision-making process that includes data collection, program review, and approval by school leaders.

However, two important steps—requiring feedback from coaches and the gymnastics community—were never followed during the decision

Sullivan acknowledged the oversight and admitted that the input was never sought from the coaches and gymnasts.

"We ran through the checkpoints of that process without going back and getting additional stakeholder feedback," he said.

The program's cancellation sparked an immediate backlash, and a petition was created to help keep the program running.

Sullivan mentioned the stats, stating that participation declined by 20% and the administration was struggling to hire qualified staff to fill the vacancy.

"All of the other districts have discontinued gymnastics, and no district that we've checked with has said they are considering any expansion of gymnastics," Sullivan said. "We are the last county offering."

School board member Rita Montoya stated that the department failed to incorporate participants in the decision and focused entirely on stats.

Lastly, school board principal Grace Rivera-Oven acknowledged the efforts of those who came out in support of the program.

As the program's future beyond 2026-27 remains uncertain, Rivera-Oven hopes that Montgomery County schools could find a solution to the problem.

Montgomery County is Home to Dominique Dawes

Montgomery County has deep ties to gymnastics, as the county is home to three-time Olympian Dominique Dawes. She attended Montgomery Blair High School.

She competed at the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Dawes was the first African American gymnast to earn an individual Olympic medal, along with a bronze on floor exercise at Atlanta.

Being part of the Magnificent Seven, Dawes created history. The U.S. women's team won its first-ever Olympic team gold in gymnastics in 1996.

After retirement, she continued to be part of the sport with the opening of the first-ever Dominique Dawes Academy in Clarksburg in July 2020. In February 2026, she opened another Dominique Dawes Academy in her hometown of Silver Spring. This marked the fifth location in the DMV region.

"Silver Spring is where my journey began," Dawes said, according to Montgomery Community Media. "It's my hometown, and it's where I first fell in love with gymnastics. Bringing the Academy here feels deeply personal."

The academy will offer recreational and competitive gymnastics, ninja training, and summer camps. Dawes also plans to expand her academy to another 50 locations nationwide over the next five years.

She aims to keep Montgomery County at the center of her growing gymnastics venture.

Read more at Gymnastics Digest.

Written by

Sebi Mehta

Edited by

Sijo Paul