OXFORD – Between teaching and coaching, John Curtis gave his all to the Oxford School District for more than 30 years. Now, four years after his retirement, a former student is spearheading the effort to recognize his contributions to the school and community by refurbishing the scoreboard at Blackhawk Stadium, and dedicating it in his honor.

Sarah Johnson, a 2001 graduate of Oxford Academy, said her former coach and teacher deserves the recognition.

“This dedication is really important because of how dedicated Mr. Curtis was to his students, student athletes, the community of Oxford and its members,” said Johnson, who had Curtis as a teacher and a coach during her Oxford career. She also worked for him as a lifeguard at the Oxford Pool, where he was the director.

“Mr. Curtis always had his students’ and athletes’ best interests at heart,” she said. And now she feels it’s time for those whose lives he has touched to give back.

Johnson, who teaches in the Schenectedy City School District, no longer lives in the area. But she continues to have close ties to the Oxford community her parents, Bill and Diane Troxell, still call home. She’s tapped into those connections to raise the $3,000 needed for the refurbishment and dedication of the scoreboard.

The refurbishment will be done by a Rochester business that specializes in such work, and it is the same company from which the district purchased the board nearly three decades ago.