BY CRYSTAL BLOXOM, Guest columnist
I’m writing concerning my husband, Jimmy Bloxom, who has been the athletic director of Chincoteague High School for the last nine years.
Jimmy, along with the other athletic directors in our county, have been wholeheartedly dedicated to our students, schools, and communities, and they have kept our athletic programs running strong by doing full-time jobs for part-time stipends.
In 2017, my husband was asked by Karen Taylor to accept the athletic director position, which then paid $3,000 a year. He eagerly took on the job, seeing it as a chance to give back to his home school and hometown. Over the years, there have been small increases in pay. This last year he was paid $7,500.
He worked diligently every summer scheduling games, entering rosters, mentoring coaches, maintaining safety protocols, and checking student eligibility, even though his contract each year ended in June.
He built relationships with other regional schools that are now willing to drive four hours to come play a game on our island.
Somehow Jimmy was able to hold down a full-time job, raise a family, serve as athletic director, and coach several sports, bringing home multiple district championship titles over the years.
I don’t think there are many people in our school that haven’t uttered the words “ask Jimmy” when something is needed.
With all that being said, I believe I can safely say that all of our Accomack County athletic directors were excited to finally see the athletic director jobs at each of our three high schools posted on July 16 as full-time positions.
Their years of dedication and hard work for barely any pay were finally going to turn into something good.
The job requirements were posted on July 16 as “bachelor’s degree or three years VHSL coaching experience,” which allowed for all the current athletic directors (including Jimmy, who does not have a bachelor’s degree) to be eligible to continue their jobs.
Jimmy uploaded his resume, which included 11 years of coaching experience and nine years experience as athletic director, along with recommendation letters from multiple colleagues in our region.
He met July 23 with Chincoteague Combined School’s new principal, who double-checked the job requirements on the posting and confirmed that he was qualified to interview and maintain his position as athletic director.
By the end of the day on July 23, the qualifications of the position were altered to say “bachelor’s degree required,” which specifically excluded Jimmy as meeting the requirements of the job that he has been very successful at for the last nine years.
To say that he was specifically targeted in this change would be an understatement.
Nine years of dedication to the students and families of Chincoteague Combined School, not for money but for our children, just discarded without an interview, second thought, or even a thank-you.
I can understand that sometimes decisions on paper can look to be the best options; however, decisions like this, involving our students and our families, cannot be made on paper.
This is not the best for our students at Chincoteague Combined School.
We have lost our principal, our assistant principal, our interim principal, and now are losing our athletic director who cares more about our students and our school than some will ever be able to comprehend.
Passion, dedication, and humanity are not traits that are obtained at a university. They are miraculously placed inside of certain individuals who put others before their own needs and wants.
These qualities drive the hearts of those who are willing to work nights and weekends and summers, after getting off from a full-time job, just because it is what is best to keep the school going.
The kindest way I can say this is that Accomack County Public Schools has lost its way.
It is losing the people who are invested in our community and invested in our students.
Members of the Accomack County School Board, you are elected to be our voice.
This is not just about Chincoteague Combined School, this is about every school in our county, every person who is being pushed out and driven away.
All across the county we have lost leaders, administrators, office workers, bus drivers, and countless wonderful teachers.
The loss ultimately belongs to our children. This is not what the people of Accomack County want to happen. You have the ability to make a change.
Please stand up for what you know is right and do what is best for our schools and our children, before it is too late.
