Voters in Worcester County Board of Education District 1 will choose between two candidates with extensive backgrounds in education when they vote on November 3: Caroline Bloxom and Glen Ennis.
The race is officially nonpartisan, and both candidates are longtime Pocomoke-area residents with careers in education. Their campaign materials, public statements and endorsements, however, provide voters with somewhat different pictures of their priorities and the people and organizations supporting their candidacies.
The Arrowhead contacted both candidates with the same questionnaire seeking information about their backgrounds, reasons for running, priorities, and how voters could contact them. Ennis provided detailed written responses. Bloxom responded that she had already planned to discuss her experience and views in a series of Facebook posts rather than answer the questionnaire directly.
“I had already decided to do a deeper dive into my experience and thoughts on education in Facebook posts over the coming weeks,” Bloxom wrote, asking that readers be directed to her campaign Facebook page.
The following is a comparison of what we know about these two candidates.
Experience and background
Caroline Bloxom brings a 40-year career in education, with 30 of those in Worcester County, according to her campaign materials and her responses to the League of Women Voters’ VOTE411 voter guide.
Bloxom taught mathematics in grades 6-12 for 14 years before becoming a curriculum planner at Pocomoke Middle School. She subsequently served as the Worcester County Public Schools PreK-12 Mathematics Coordinator and Professional Development Coordinator, returned to Pocomoke Middle as principal, and later became principal of Worcester Technical High School while also serving as the district’s Career and Technology Education Coordinator.
In the VOTE411 guide, Bloxom said that curriculum development, delivery, and assessment had been a key component of her various positions. She also described programs she initiated at Worcester Technical High School to introduce younger students to career and technical programs. Her campaign materials describe her background as 40 years of education leadership and dedication to students.
Bloxom’s community involvement includes service with the Delmarva Discovery Museum and Worcester County Library Foundation, as well as past involvement with the Pocomoke Rotary Club, Soroptimist organizations and Girl Scouts.
Glen Ennis tells the Arrowhead that he grew up in Pocomoke and attended Pocomoke schools before graduating from Pocomoke High School in 1985. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Arts/Technology Education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and a master’s degree in Public School Administration from Salisbury University.
Ennis taught in Dorchester and Somerset counties, was named Somerset County Teacher of the Year in 2002, and served as an assistant principal at several Somerset County schools (including Westover Elementary, Crisfield High, and Somerset Intermediate) before becoming principal of the J.M. Tawes Career and Technology Center. He also shared that he was in charge of athletics while at Crisfield High and served as A.D. of athletics while at Somerset Intermediate. He retired after 30 years in education.
His connection with students has continued. Ennis told the Arrowhead that he has worked as a Worcester County substitute bus driver for 38 years and currently substitutes full time.
“I have never stopped interacting with students even after retiring,” Ennis wrote. “I often get asked for advice, offer guidance and I am always attending band and chorus events, athletic events and the county art show encouraging the students that I see on a daily basis.”
Ennis noted involvement with Pocomoke-area civic and conservation groups. He served as Past President of Pocomoke River Ducks Unlimited and he was Past Vice President and a committee member of the Bay Shore Gobblers NWTF chapter in Pocomoke. He said the latter organization has helped raise and distribute more than $50,000 in scholarships to local high school seniors. He is also a volunteer with the Great Pocomoke Fair.
What they say they want to accomplish
The candidates’ stated priorities show considerable overlap, particularly around career education, school facilities, staffing and fiscal responsibility.
Bloxom has emphasized governance, accountability, school safety, student learning and support for teachers and staff.
In the VOTE411 guide, she identified Governance and Accountability as the area of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future that she believes the Worcester County Board needs to give more attention.
“Board members should not be ‘yes’ people,” Bloxom wrote. “They should be continuous learners, effective communicators and thoughtful stewards of the School System, who support critical evaluation and debate.”
She also said school safety should encompass both physical security and mental wellbeing. If elected, she said she would request each school’s safety plan. She would examine whether the plans address mental health, physical safety, and stakeholder concerns.
For career education, Bloxom cited her experience at Worcester Technical High School. She indicated a wish for more business internships that give students professional experience. These internships may lead to employment opportunities for participants.
Her campaign literature lists six broad priorities: prioritize student learning; champion teachers and support staff; ensure safe environments; adopt and review policies; ensure accountability for tax dollars; and serve as a community liaison.
Ennis provided a more specific five-point list in his response to the Arrowhead.
His priorities are:
- Expansion of the programs at the Technical High School, these programs are the high paying jobs of the future.
- Renovation of several of our older buildings to modernize their efficiency.
- Continue to prioritize keeping our class sizes small so every child gets individualized instruction.
- Look at better ways to effectively and efficiently use our budget money.
- Hire and retain the best high quality local staff and teachers.
Ennis described career and technical education as a particular priority.
“I feel I have a very unique skill set that would allow me to help guide the education of the children of Worcester County as well as the children in District 1,” he wrote.
In the VOTE411 guide, Ennis called career and technical education “vital to the future”. He advocated expanded programs, apprenticeships and hands-on experience with employers for students. He identified teacher compensation and retention as priorities. He identified increased enrollment at the Career and Technology Center and greater oversight of the school budget as priorities.
On school safety, Ennis said maintaining a law-enforcement presence in every school is a top priority and that assessing potential risks should be an ongoing responsibility involving all stakeholders.
Public positions and voter questions
One notable feature of the campaign has been the limited amount of detailed policy debate taking place publicly on the candidates’ social media pages. The Arrowhead has observed voters asking both candidates about specific issues, including books, curriculum, and policy changes. Both campaigns have generally steered those conversations toward direct contact rather than providing public responses.
That means voters looking for detailed positions may need to look beyond Facebook comment threads and contact candidates directly.
For Bloxom, her stated plan to the Arrowhead is to use her campaign page to publish more detailed thoughts on education. For Ennis, his questionnaire response provides a more direct outline of his priorities, while his campaign page also invites residents to contact him.
Endorsements: different networks of support
The candidates have also assembled different groups of endorsers.
Ennis was endorsed by the Worcester County Teachers Association (WCTA) after participating in the association’s endorsement process. Bloxom took a different approach, publicly stating that she would not seek the WCTA endorsement and would not participate in its endorsement process. In explaining that decision, Bloxom said she respects teachers and support staff and their organizations, but believes a Board of Education member has a responsibility to listen to the entire community.
Ennis has received support from people with direct experience serving on the District 1 Board of Education seat he is seeking. His campaign page identifies Marion Butler Jr., Doug Dryden, and Bill Buchanan as three individuals who have served students from District 1 on the Board, collectively representing 32 years of service according to Ennis’ post.
Buchanan, a current two-term member of the Worcester County Board of Education, has been one of Ennis’ most outspoken public supporters. Buchanan has repeatedly used his personal Facebook page to promote Ennis’ candidacy, discuss his qualifications and provide additional background about Ennis’ career in education. Buchanan does not maintain an official campaign or political Facebook page, making his repeated personal endorsements particularly notable in the context of the race.
Ennis has also received an endorsement from Roger L. Richardson, a prominent Worcester County agricultural figure and former Maryland Secretary of Agriculture.
Richardson’s biography maintained by the Maryland State Archives shows that he served as Worcester County Board of Education president in 1992-93 after serving on the board from 1983 to 1993. He later served as Maryland Secretary of Agriculture from 2007 through 2009. His public service also included numerous state agricultural, environmental and rural-development boards and commissions.
Ennis described Richardson as a “great public servant” and said he would do his best to “follow in your shoes” if elected.
Bloxom’s individual endorsements have come from a different mix of local community and education connections.
Among the endorsements publicly promoted by her campaign are Melody Gillespie, a retired Pocomoke Middle School educational assistant; Dave Willett, who worked with Bloxom in Worcester County schools; and Lisa Taylor, owner of Christmas Sweet and Smart Graphics Design and executive director of the Pocomoke Area Chamber of Commerce.
Bloxom has also received public support from Worcester County Commissioner Caryn Abbott. In a post on her personal Facebook page, Abbott congratulated Bloxom in a message of support. Abbott has also been involved in distributing Bloxom campaign signs; a public comment on Bloxom’s Facebook page thanked Abbott for a sign.
Bloxom also has endorsements from two organizations outside Worcester County that have taken active positions in Maryland school-board politics.
The Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition (DPTC), headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, has listed Bloxom as having their “Seal of Approval”. Maryland business records identify DPTC as a domestic LLC formed in 2020, with Darren Lombardo listed as the authorized person in its Articles of Organization. Lombardo has represented DPTC in testimony before the Maryland General Assembly.
The 1776 Project PAC is a Virginia-based federal political action committee with a mailing address in Springfield, Virginia and Staci Goede listed as treasurer. The PAC publicly lists Bloxom among its 2026 endorsed candidates and has also independently promoted Bloxom to local voters through text messages. One such message expressly states that the communication was not authorized or approved by any candidate, a typical disclaimer from PACs.
These endorsements are worth distinguishing from the candidates’ individual local endorsements. The DPTC and 1776 Project PAC are organizations based outside the district, while the individual endorsements on both sides include people with local connections to the candidates and school system.
Campaign finance
The latest Maryland State Board of Elections reports, covering activity through October 18, provide a snapshot of the campaigns’ finances but do not appear to change the basic picture of a relatively small local race.
Bloxom’s committee, Citizens for Caroline Bloxom, reported $993.90 in contributions and $1,009.97 in expenditures during the reporting period, leaving a reported ending balance of $458.56. The report includes a $393.90 contribution from the Republican Women of Worcester County and $320 paid for eight 4-by-8-foot coroplast signs.
Ennis’ committee, Friends for Glen Ennis, reported $1,650 in contributions and $1,651.75 in expenditures, with a reported ending cash balance of $677.03. His report includes a $700 contribution from the MSEA Fund for Children and Public Education. Ennis’ expenditures during the period included $1,576.75 in payments to Gardner Sign Co. for yard signs, plus $75 for a voter list.
The Maryland State Board of Elections’ next scheduled report is after voting concludes.
How to contact the candidates
Both candidates are officially listed by the Maryland State Board of Elections as nonpartisan candidates for Worcester County Board of Education District 1.
Caroline H. Bloxom
Phone: 443-235-1450
Email: chbloxomboe1@gmail.com
Facebook: Caroline Bloxom for Worcester Board of Education District 1
Bloxom’s campaign page is also where she has said she intends to publish additional information about her experience and views on education.
Glen Ennis
Phone: 410-603-4213
Email: glenennis957@yahoo.com
Facebook: Glen Ennis for District 1 Worcester County School Board
Ennis told the Arrowhead that if he does not answer the phone, voters should leave a message because he may be driving a school bus.
The choice for District 1 voters
Both candidates offer voters substantial education experience, but their campaigns have emphasized somewhat different aspects of that experience.
Bloxom points to four decades in education, including curriculum leadership and two principalships, and emphasizes governance, accountability, safety, student learning and community engagement.
Ennis points to 30 years as a teacher and administrator, continued daily contact with students as a school bus driver, and a particular focus on career and technical education, school facilities, class sizes, staffing and budget oversight.
Their endorsement networks also differ. Ennis has attracted support from people who have served on the District 1 Board and from former Maryland Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson. Bloxom has attracted support from local community and education figures as well as two organizations based outside Worcester County.
With Election Day approaching, District 1 voters have the opportunity to evaluate not only the candidates’ professional histories, but also the priorities they have articulated, the people and organizations supporting them, and the answers, or additional answers, they choose to provide during the final days of the campaign.
Our local General Election is on November 3, 2026, and early voting began on October 22nd and ends on October 29th.
I referenced VOTE411 in this article, they are a thorough resource for election information. Visit them here: https://www.vote411.org/maryland
CORRECTION 10/24: The initial publication of this article omitted Ennis’ endorsement by the WCTA and Bloxom’s public stance on the subject. It has been added in.
