Sam Blom was sworn in as the newest member of the Sedona-Oak Creek School District Board of Trustees on Thursday, September 12th.
“I want to be able to help the schools in a different way,” said Blom, who has been the football coach at SOCSD for the past six years, “When you coach 20 kids, you impact those 20 kids, and now I'm involved with the whole school district, so I feel like I have a bigger role.”
Current board member April Payne was appointed to a new four-year term that afternoon by outgoing Yavapai County Superintendent Tim Carter. Board Chairman Randy Hawley was also scheduled to be re-elected but had to reschedule due to a family emergency.
The appointments of Blom, Hawley and Payne came after November's board elections were cancelled following the resignation of former board member David Price, who was also seeking re-election.
In addition to being a board member, Blom plans to continue volunteering with Theresa Zaun's second-grade class at West Sedona School. After her time in the classroom, Blom said she sees educating the district's English language learners as one of SOCSD's challenges.
Blom was born in the Netherlands in 1950 and moved to New Jersey with his family in 1957.
In West Sedona Schools, the number of ELL students district-wide has increased from 78 to 99 since February, but the number of ELL students in the middle and high school has decreased from 101 to 93. As of Sept. 10, there were 702 total students enrolled in SOCSD.
“The enrollment of ELL students in the district has been trending upward for some time,” Deena DeWitt, SOCSD's director of student services, said in a recent email. “Because it is realistic that it takes a few years for students whose first language is not English to become 'proficient' in English, the number of new ELL students entering the district is outpacing the number of students graduating from ELL status.”
Price gave a brief farewell address to the SOCSD Board of Trustees during their Tuesday, Sept. 10 meeting.
“I first met my wife in 1975. I was 15 and told my best friend that I was going to grow old with the girl, and luckily that's what happened,” Price said. “In 1976, I asked her out. She knew I wanted to be a naval aviator, which is what I'd wanted since I was 3 years old.”
Price also described how Susan had repeatedly held him down at military promotion ceremonies, how she raised the couple's two sons and how they moved 15 times during his military career.
“I bought a house yesterday. [by Paulden]We are in the process of moving [in Sedona]”It's up for sale right now,” Price said. “How can I say no to a woman like that? It meant a lot to me to be on this school committee and be involved in this community, but I couldn't say no.”
Awards
SRRHS Employee of the Month: Mariah McElrath
High School Student of the Month: Karol Reiha Velazquez
Middle School Student of the Month: Kainoa Stimple
Athlete of the Month: Colin Leadbetter
West Sedona School Employee of the Month: Maria Ortega and Andrea Silven
West Sedona Students of the Month: Carlos Davila Alvarez and Luna Bustos Landa
