No music. No applause. No chalk-dusted high-fives. Just silence. The kind that lingers too long after the final dismount. It wasn’t always like this. Not in this small Midwestern town where gymnastics once reverberated through the rafters. The springboard thud, the uneven bar clinks, the squeak of leotards brushing against mat and air—it used to be alive in there. This wasn’t just a gym. For decades, young girls grew up tumbling across this floor, each flip and fall part of something bigger. But now? Nothing. So, what happened?

In Stewartville, gymnastics was more than a sport, it was part of the rhythm of life. But in April, that rhythm stopped.

The Stewartville Public School Board voted to cut the district’s gymnastics program, citing budget issues. The district needed to slash between $800,000 to $1 million. Superintendent Belinda Selfors said there was no choice. “Financially, ignoring this is not an option… these are very, very difficult decisions.” “It was determined that we needed to align our expenses with our revenues. So we’re gonna have a decline in our revenues, which means we need to decrease our expenses,”

The news stunned the tight-knit gymnastics community. “It’s going to affect a lot of people from grandparents including little kids,” said head coach Yolanda Carman.

At the time of the vote, the team had 11 athletes from Stewartville and one more from nearby Chatfield, training through a cooperative agreement. Even with such small numbers, the program meant everything to those involved. Carleen Rager, a gymnast last season, felt blindsided. “I know our school said it cost $20,000 to run our program… I can see where they’re coming from. But as well, it’s just like if you gave us a warning, we could definitely do some stuff to change this.” Gymnastics has been part of Stewartville since 1970.

Gymnastics community has been distraught at the news

When Michelle Holton and her family moved to Stewartville a decade ago, they had one key reason for choosing the town. “We moved to Stewartville 10 years ago and one of the actual deciding factors to choose this community is that they had gymnastics,” she said.

Now, with the school board’s decision to end the 55-year-old program, many families are left not only heartbroken but also scrambling for answers.

Holton had tried suggesting alternatives. She spoke with district officials about the possibility of moving the gymnastics setup to Bear Cave Intermediate School. “Ten years ago, they actually put gymnastics footing into the floor and they’ve never allowed it to be utilized,” she pointed out.

In a last-ditch effort to keep the sport alive for one more year, Holton said the gymnastics team requested to use $16,000 from its club fundraising account. But the situation is far from easy. “They would have to go to the gym and the club, and now every parent can’t afford that nowadays,” said head coach Yolanda Carman.

The impact reaches beyond Stewartville. Two gymnasts from Chatfield were also part of the team, and the loss has hit them too. For many athletes, this sport has been transformational.

Carleen Rager, a former gymnast, recalled how much it helped her teammate Ruby. “When she first came to join the team she was so shy. This sport has helped her to come out of her comfort zone.”

Right now, the only option left seems to be club gymnastics. “Club is the best thing which we can hope for now,” Rager said. “A bunch of girls can be happy we can do the sport.”

During the April 28 meeting, the school board said they would soon announce how they plan to handle the $16,000 in fundraiser money. The community expected answers within the week.