Carroll county is planning to eliminate the Athletic Director position at every high school starting June 1. 

This means our county ADs will return to a teacher level position, and the AD will likely be a history or math teacher who runs Athletics during a planning period for an extra stipend per month. This is a huge pay cut and will drastically affect athletics. Ashley Hoyt does not have a teaching certificate- she is a Certified Athletic Administrator and will have to leave the county, as will likely all CCPS ADs. 

This is a cost cutting measure to try and fund the requirements of the Blueprint. 

As we may or may not know, an Athletic Director is an absolutely crucial role in promoting and sustaining high school sports. ADs have a full time job managing athletic facilities and locker rooms, equipment and uniforms, transportation, scheduling, logistics, funding, compliance with state and county policies, advocating for our sports, working with school admin to support or discipline student athletes. They work with parents and other ADs across the state to ensure compliance, competitiveness and accountability in athletics. This is a huge 7 days a week job. 

Losing an AD will likely affect cheerleading. We are a sport in CCPS but only because of the support of the Athletic community. Losing sport status will likely turn us back into a club for one or both seasons, which hurts funding, bus availability, practice space and more. A teacher-AD has no need to fight for us if they don’t want to, meaning potential loss of the ability or funding to attend events, loss of the ability to host comps, etc. this would put a huge job on the shoulders of an already overworked and underpaid teacher. 

PLEASE HELP

Please email the CCPS board of education. Share your experience with athletics and the importance of an athletic director. Polite, professional and personal emails are best. They need to know how much this will hurt. Please do this ASAP. I could not be more serious in asking for help. Emails are in the comments below.  Students and parents are asked to reach out. It can be short or long. They need to know how this will truly impact the county and your athletic experience. 

Many of you may have heard that this week, the Carroll County Board of Education has notified residents and staff members of major changes coming to our school system due to the Maryland Blueprint and Carroll County Budget issues. While there are many challenges and topics to discuss and fight for, there is one that is not getting much attention that as someone connected to Century Sports (and CCPS sports) and it needs to be blasted to the community. One of the many changes that have already been put into works is the dismissal of all 7 Athletic Directors in Carroll County effective for the 2025-2026 school year and the AD's were notified in person this past Thursday, The board has decided to eliminate the position and turn it into a teacher's position where the AD will teach 2 classes a day and then have 2 mods a day (so about 3-4 hours) to handle all the needs of the current AD role. As well, they are putting them into a teachers salary and expectations. Administrators will take over the after-school time roles and our coaches will need to step in to fill the gaps. For those of you who know Ashley Hoyt, our AD, she spends upwards of 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week doing the role of AD to support our Student-Athletes and even with that many hours, the work is never done.

At this time, the number one ask we have of our school community is to get LOUD. We are not asking for form letters to be sent but instead for us to individually write letters to our Board expressing the reasons why an AD is critical to our STUDENTS and our community.

If you are able to write a letter, we would appreciate if you can include a few reasons that personally show why having an AD (especially Ashley!) are a huge impact on your student-athlete and on our community.

For some stats for those who may be unaware, Ashley this past year spent countless hours using a squeegee to clear rainwater off our field for soccer to be able to play because the county refuses to give more money for maintenance or opportunity for turf fields. Ashley stands in as a backup trainer for games when we have an injury and our trainer is unavailable. Ashley knows every single student-athletes name, mentors many of them on making decisions about going to college and possibly playing sports in college and more. Ashley works tirelessly helping prepare our fields and sports arenas for games, she handles scheduling to make sure each team can succeed in the best way possible and she manages all the details so that our coaches can coach.

We have 37 teams and over 300 fall athletes, 200 winter and spring over 300 athletes. Century's fall GPA for athletes was slightly over 4,0 weighted and each team does on average 2 community service events per season, all of which Ashley helps support.

We are doing our student-athletes a huge disservice by demolishing the Athletic Director role and this move will likely demolish our sports programs at the high school level in Carroll County.

As many of us know, sports are a huge part of our athlete's story and learn many life lessons. We ask that you help us raise the voices about this horrible decision.

We need your support to lobby the Board of Education, County Commissioners, & MD Legislature.

If you aren’t tracking, the state is making major changes to education funding with the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.  Most concerning are the fiscal compliance measures. 

Part of the shifts of resources and changes is the reclassification of Athletic Directors.  All seven of these full-time positions are being reverted to teaching positions.  The ADs will no longer be considered administrators and will be part-time teachers and part-time ADs.

The position is being moved over to the teacher pay scale from the administrator scale.  We don’t know how they will handle compensation.  They will likely get a stipend to help with the AD responsibilities but that must be negotiated in the CCEA contract which is not open for negotiations until the FY27 school year.  So, what happens for the FY26 school year?

The teacher/AD position will now be required to teach two classes a day, have one MOD for their teacher planning/lunch, and a final MOD to accomplish all of the AD responsibilities.  There are a lot of questions we need answered as a community:

• Who is going to cover the evening games and contests if the AD is working all day?  ADs generally came into the buildings later since they worked into the late evening

• Who will be covering the booster meetings and events in the evenings if the AD is working all day?

• When will the student athletes be able to meet with the AD with concerns and questions? If the AD is teaching or the AD planning MOD is when a student can’t leave class when will they meet?

• Who will cover down as the athletic trainer if the AD is not present?  Currently at some schools the AD must substitute for the trainer.

• Who will set up the fields for play?  Who will do the field maintenance, painting, etc.?  Many people don’t realize the AD spends hours and hours moving water off fields, spreading grass seed, throwing straw, watering, painting, mowing, etc.

We have over 30 sports teams.  We have hundreds of student-athletes.  Our AD works with them all as necessary on injuries, questions, concerns, and general mentoring.

Please take a moment to email the Board of Education and County Commissioners.  Also, you will find Facebook posts to email the MD Legislature to repeal the Fiscal Compliance requirements of Blueprint.  Please do both email the BOE, Commissioners and the MD Legislature.  Tell your own story on why the AD is a vital full-time position.  Have your student-athlete send in an email too.  We need to be loud

High school athletic directors play a crucial role in the overall success of a school’s athletic programs and student development. Here are some reasons why they are so important: Program Management: Athletic directors oversee the day-to-day operations of sports programs, ensuring that everything runs smoothly, from scheduling games and practices to managing budgets and resources. Student Development: They promote student-athletes' physical and mental well-being by providing a balanced approach between academics and athletics, fostering teamwork, discipline, and leadership. Compliance and Safety: They ensure that the athletic programs adhere to state, district, and national regulations, including safety protocols, eligibility requirements, and maintaining equipment standards. Communication: Athletic directors serve as the key communication link between coaches, parents, athletes, and school administration. They help create a cohesive environment for all stakeholders involved. Fundraising and Budgeting: They are responsible for securing funds for athletic programs, whether through sponsorships, fundraising, or school budgets, ensuring the proper allocation of resources for sports equipment, travel, and facilities. Coach Support: Athletic directors hire, train, and support coaches, ensuring they are well-equipped to mentor and guide their teams effectively. Creating a Positive School Culture: They contribute to the school’s identity and community by organizing events that bring students, parents, and staff together, fostering school spirit and pride. In essence, high school athletic directors are key figures in creating a positive, organized, and supportive environment for both athletes and the broader school community.