Optimum Donates $60K to Boost Sedona and Camp Verde Schools

Optimum, a division of Altice, has made a significant donation of $30,000 to the Sedona-Oak Creek School District, announced during a ceremony held on December 12 at the Sedona Performing Arts Center.

The funds will be allocated to acquire 101 Chromebooks for students at the West Sedona School (WSS). First-grade teacher Patty Falsetto expressed excitement about the impact of the donation, stating, “The children, as soon as they hear about this, are going to go crazy.”

Jim Campbell, Optimum’s Vice President of Government Affairs, noted that this initiative is part of the company’s broader DonorsChoose program, which engages employees in funding educational projects nationwide. He mentioned, “Camp Verde and Sedona are huge markets of ours. It’s part of our effort to reconnect ourselves locally with the markets.”

According to Optimum’s website, this marks the fourth consecutive year the company has supported public schools through the DonorsChoose platform. The Assistant Superintendent of SOCSD, Jennifer Chilton, highlighted the district’s achievement of a 1:1 Chromebook-to-student ratio while acknowledging ongoing needs for replacements.

Chilton remarked, “It’s an ongoing process. A certain number must be purchased each year, updated, and replaced as the oldest ones wear out.” She added that durable cases will help protect the devices, as student backpacks can pose challenges for tech equipment. The use of Google Classroom is integral to both classroom and at-home learning.

Just days earlier, Optimum presented $30,000 to Camp Verde Elementary School, which will utilize the funds to purchase two Chromebook carts, each holding 32 units. Falsetto emphasized the collaborative spirit within the district: “It’s all a team effort in our district. I’ve seen a lot of growth, but I’ve always seen the schools working together, the teachers working together, you know what is best for our kids. We have a lot of work ahead, and this will help.”