Rivercrest High School Cheerleaders Fight for Permission to Compete at Nationals Even After Earning State Runner-Up Bid!

January 7, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on January 7, 2026

A mother named Nickie Bell took to her Facebook page to pour her heart out to the whole Rivercrest School District community, asking everyone to stand up and speak out for the cheer team girls.

She penned a lengthy emotional post explaining how upset she feels right now because some of the school board members seem to have forgotten the very reasons they were elected in the first place.

Nickie pointed straight to the Arkansas School Boards Association website, where they have something called “School Board Basics” that spells out exactly what board members are supposed to do.

“It seems that some of our board members have forgotten what it is they’ve signed up to do,” she wrote.

According to those guidelines, every single decision needs to focus on what is truly best for the students.

The guidelines read “They represent the voices of parents, students, and the community to make sure schools provide a great education for every student.”

Given the guidelines, in Nickie’s eyes that means one thing above everything else, i.e., letting the Rivercrest cheerleaders go compete at the national level who have worked incredibly hard all season.

They earned their spot fair and square by finishing as State Runner-Up, which gave them a real bid to take part in nationals.

She wrote:

Their very own “Basics” state that “All decisions should focus on what’s in the best interest of the students” and that, IMHO, means allowing them a chance to compete!

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Nickie made it very clear that nobody is asking the school district to pay a penny toward the trip.

They are not looking for the school to provide buses or any kind of transportation either. All the families want is simple permission for the team to go represent Rivercrest at the highest competition possible.

What hurt her the most, she said, was hearing the board president say out loud in a public meeting that “they don’t cater to the rich.”

Nickie urged everyone reading the post to come together and not sit quietly while adults in charge make choices that feel like they are bullying children who have already proven themselves.

A comment under the post read:

By them not granting permission for the Cheer Team to compete, it doesn’t really appear that they’re focusing on what’s best for the students…..🤔🤔

Another wrote, “Rich or not, they are the students of Rivercrest! Robbing them of an opportunity based on socioeconomic status doesn’t set an example for anyone.“

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Aditi is an avid music lover whose interest's goes beyond the realm of music, with passion in digital marketing. A Gen Z who loves her personal space and is keen to exploring new things. An optimist who seeks silver lining in every circumstances life throws at her.

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