What you need to know
The program has faced several challenges in recent years, including declining enrollment and difficulty recruiting qualified coaches, according to the statement.
Additionally, the city’s new cost recovery goals and tighter budgets have limited the Parks and Recreation department’s “ability to subsidize underperforming programs in the Recreation Revolving Fund,” according to the statement.
“We recognize the history and community value of this program and have not made this decision lightly,” the spokesperson said. “Continuing to subsidize the program is not sustainable and would compromise the recreation revolving fund’s ability to meet cost recovery goals established by city policy.”
According to the statement, the program has seen a net loss of approximately $98,000 in 2024-25 despite consistent marketing efforts and program adjustments.
Plano Aerobats Head Coach Carlos Perez retired in 2021 after leading the program for more than 30 years, according to a city news release.
What they’re saying
Plano resident Sunaina Ahuja said at the Oct. 13 Plano City Council meeting that the closure should be postponed so their kids can still participate in the program, as most private competitive teams have already been formed and cannot take new gymnasts.
“We were told just during the beginning of this week that it is going to be shut down, ... and we have no other place to take our girls because all the teams are already formed,” Ahuja said. “We did not get enough time to look for other options.”
Zooming in
Plano City Council approved the city’s new cost recovery policy for Parks and Recreation programs in February to ensure programs were recouping costs.
While some services have target cost recovery ranges of 41-61% or 61-90%, recreation program fees, including Plano Aerobats, have a target cost recovery of 100%, according to city documents.
Plano City Council also approved increasing service fee prices for various Parks and Recreation programs in June.
Some fees had not been updated since 2008 or 2012, while others were last changed in 2019.
The new fees were expected to generate $314,445 for the recreation revolving fund, according to city documents.
Quote of note
“For 50 years, Plano Aerobats has been a proud part of our community—introducing thousands of young athletes to the joy, discipline and achievement of gymnastics,” the program’s website states. “We are deeply grateful to the generations of families, athletes and coaches who made Plano Aerobats a lasting legacy.”
