It is with deep disappointment that I write to inform you that the CYDO-CCSD Youth District Basketball League will not take place this season. Although your team’s coaches have already communicated this to you, I wanted to personally reach out and let you know what led to this unfortunate action. This decision was forced upon us after an unexpected and unreasonable demand from the Clarke County School District. About a week before our games were set to begin, Superintendent Robbie Hooker informed me that CYDO would need to pay $13,180 for security and janitorial services to use the district gymnasium—a cost we were neither prepared for nor had ever been charged in the past. This is not only fundamentally unfair but also appears to be part of a larger effort to hinder the continuation of the CYDO-CCSD Basketball League.

This follows the recent loss of the 6th-grade league, which was absorbed by the county- and district-supported Youth Development Initiative. The CYDO-CCSD Basketball League has been a cornerstone of youth engagement and development in our community for the past two years, and these actions jeopardize our ability to continue providing this valuable program.

We had an agreement in place that ensured we would not be charged for these services, and this sudden change in policy raises serious concerns. While Dr. Hooker has recently communicated that he will ask the Board of Education for an exception to this policy (albeit under extremely restrictive demands), we need the voices of parents, students, and community members to ensure the future of the CYDO-CCSD Basketball League.

I urge you to contact the Board of Education and express your support for CYDO. Additionally, please consider signing up to speak at the upcoming Board of Education meeting this Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 7 p.m. Your voices can make a difference in demonstrating to the district that our community values this program and will not stand by as its existence is threatened.

To sign up to speak at the meeting or for additional details on how to support this effort, please reach out to us at cydoathens@gmail.com, or follow the directions on the second page of this letter. There, you will also find the email addresses of the superintendent and board members.

Thank you for your continued support of CYDO and for standing with us as we fight to preserve opportunities for our youth.

Earnest Elder

CEO, Community & Youth Development Organization Commissioner, CYDO Basketba