Superintendent, Sacaton Elementary School District #18

Robert “Bob” Lewandowski is starting his 21st year as a Superintendent and his second at Sacaton Elementary School District. He has been in education for over 35 years. Prior to coming to Sacaton, he served as superintendent in Montana and Wyoming. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Chadron State College in Secondary Education and Administration. He completed all course work for an educational doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Wyoming. Lewandowski currently holds licensure as a superintendent in Wyoming, Montana, and Arizona.

Mr. Lewandowski was born and raised in Nebraska. His high school sweetheart and wife, Debra, is also a teacher. They have three daughters, a son-in-law and a grandson. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and photography.

Lewandowski has been awarded several leadership acknowledgements through the years. He was recently named the South Eastern Montana Superintendent of the year. 

Lewandowski is loyal to empowering students with an equal and equitable education. A leader that understands “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” He is committed to providing the needed safety support and belonging required of staff and students for their success. He is looking forward to serving the students and community of Sacaton.

Email Mr. Lewandowski

Executive Administrative Assistant | Governing Board Secretary

Email Ms. Seider

520-562-8600 x 1009

Principal, Sacaton Elementary School

Stephanie Celis is the Principal for Sacaton Elementary School, PreK-4. As the administrative and instructional leader for PreK-4, she is responsible for helping all students become innovative leaders and problem solvers who are prepared for success in college and their preferred careers.

Stephanie Celis comes to Sacaton Elementary School with 21 years of experience and a passion for teaching and learning. Stephanie’s varied experiences as an instructional leader include: Teacher, Curriculum Integration/Library Media Specialist, Instructional Coach, Senior Student Information Systems Coordinator, Director of Academic Programs and Assessments, Principal at ASU Preparatory Academy, and current position as Principal of Sacaton Elementary School.  These experiences have shaped Stephanie’s unwavering belief that all children are able to learn at high levels not by accident but by design. 

As an Arizona native, Stephanie attended Arizona State University and earned a B.A. in Elementary Education. She earned two Master's degrees, one in Educational Leadership and one in Curriculum and Instruction. Stephanie continues to serve this mission by pledging to elevate instructional teams to reach their highest potential so that all students may have a meaningful and purposeful school experience. A safe and positive campus climate will always be at the forefront of Stephanie’s priorities. She believes communication, being visible and available to listen to all concerns are key in ensuring a successful experience for all. 

When she’s not working with students and teachers at Sacaton Elementary School, she is spending time with her husband Alex and three energetic daughters, Kylie, Teagan and Harper.

Mrs. Celis and her school staff are excited to serve the students of Sacaton Elementary School… Go Braves!

Email Mrs. Celis

Principal, Sacaton Middle School

Mr. Schopp is in his second year at Principal at the Sacaton Middle School. He is currently a member of the Arizona Department of Education's Office of Indian Education's Indian Education Advisory Council. He is working on his Ph.D. In Education Leadership at Grand Canyon University. He earned his Masters degree in Education Leadership (Principal's Certificate) from Northern Arizona University.

He has gone through the Buckeye Union High School District Superintendent's Aspiring Administrator's Academy as well as the State of Arizona's Department of Education Principal's Academy.

Prior to working at the Sacaton Middle School, Mr. Schopp was the Department Chair for math at Youngker High School in Buckeye, AZ. He oversaw 22 math teachers at Youngker. Youngker went from earning a "B" letter grade to earning an "A" letter grade in back-to-back years. He taught AP Statistics and College Algebra at Youngker. Prior to Younkger, he was the PLC for Algebra II at Verrado High School in Buckeye. Verrado earned an "A" letter grade all 4 years Schopp was at Verrado. 

He considers his most significant achievement at Sacaton Middle School to be having 46 of the 54 eight graders that were promoted after the 2023-2024 school year to be enrolled in high school during the 2024-2025 school year. He puts school safety at his top priority. SMS has not had a lockdown in the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year. He credits the work of his Leadership Coalition Team to success and forward momentum of the school. When asked what his favorite part of the job is, Mr. Schopp simply answered "the kids!"

Go Braves! 

Email Mr. Schopp

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

Marie Semodio is honored to serve as the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment for Sacaton Elementary School District #18.

With over 11 years of dedicated experience in the field of education, Ms. Semodio brings a passion for education and a commitment to fostering a thriving educational environment for both students and staff to grow into the best version of themselves. Ms. Semodio is known for her ability to nurture and develop talent, provide guidance and support to educators while continuously seeking ways to improve instructional practices. Her approach emphasizes collaborative growth, utilizing data-driven strategies to drive instructional excellence and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Ms. Semodio has served in various educational leadership positions including: classroom teacher, instructional coach, team leader, mentor teacher, "Lighthouse" coordinator, curriculum designer, assessment coordinator, administrative representative, federal programs coordinator, communications coordinator, and current position as Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.

Ms. Semodio earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Northern Arizona University. As an educator and lifelong learner, Ms. Semodio continually looks for intentional opportunities where staff can collaborate to propel student growth and encourage staff leadership.

On a personal note, Ms. Semodio was born and raised on the island of Guam, U.S.A. and moved to Arizona in the summer of 2004. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, trying new food, country dancing, and paddleboarding! Ms. Semodio is excited and honored to serve the students and community of Sacaton.

Go Braves!

Email Ms. Semodio

Director of Exceptional Student Services

Email Mrs. Becker

Director of CTC

Email Mrs. Jackson

Director of Facilities

Email Mr. Longoria

Director of Food Services

Email Mr. Trotter

Director of Technology

As the Director of Technology, Jake McCormick aims to serve teachers and students by establishing an environment that encourages creative and independent use of technology throughout the school district. This includes researching new and emerging technologies and providing technical guidance in infrastructure, hardware, software, and technical support for teachers and students campus-wide.

Jake grew up in western Nebraska and earned a Bachelor of Science in Network and System Administration. Jake served as a Network Engineer for a regional school office serving twelve different school districts and later became the Technology Director for a school district in Lincoln, NE. Jake has served on teams that have developed cyber security, infrastructure, and best student computer device practices.

Jake is excited to be part of a great community and team at Sacaton Elementary School District.

Go Braves!

Email Mr. McCormick

Director of Transportation

Lisa has been in the Student Transportation industry for twelve years. She started as a part-time bus driver. Her love for training/teaching took her to the next level, as she quickly moved into the training department for one of the five largest school districts in Arizona.  As her knowledge of state and federal regulations grew, she received her certification with the Department of Public Safety to train school bus drivers and then obtained her third-party testing certification with the Arizona Department of Transportation. She enjoys the process of teaching the skills necessary to operate a school bus safely. Students are our number one priority.

She knows a bus driver is an extremely important part of a student's day being successful. Bus Drivers are the first-person students see in the morning and the last one to send them off in the evening. Our positive energy can be what helps carry them through their day. Lisa is looking forward to a great year ahead, she understands the importance for clear communication with her staff to ensure that every member of her team knows they are a valuable asset in the success of the department.

She spends her summer months driving a bus on the lower salt river taking tubers up and down the river.  She enjoys the diversity of people, the wild horses and the beautiful scenery along Usery Pass. On a personal level, she loves to ride her motorcycle, going on long rides through the mountains.  Camping in the pines in Northern Arizona, jumping on her mountain bike and riding the trails, sailing in the open waters on Mission Bay in San Diego, and spending quality time with loved ones and family.

Email Mrs. Pauli-Lake

Human Resources Manager

Email Mrs. Hills

Business Manager

Eugenia “Gina” Arviso is just finishing up her first year within the educational field here at Sacaton Elementary School District. She is very familiar with the Gila River Indian Community for over 28 years after growing within the gaming industry of Gila River Gaming Enterprises over 25 years. She recently received her Master's Degree in Business Administration in 2020 and her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting in 2018 from the University of Phoenix. She has found her passion here at SESD and has a strong desire to give back to the Gila River Indian Community.

Ms. Arviso was born in Shiprock, New Mexico. She has two sons, ages 30 and 28 and enjoys competitive slow-pitch softball in her spare time. In 2023, she represented Arizona in the Florida Challenge Cup Women’s D division and brought home the gold medal. She competed this year in 2024 in the Indigenous Worlds Tournament in Las Vegas, NV with teammates from the Gila River Indian Community and brought home the Indigenous Worlds Championship this past November 2024.

Ms. Arviso has the drive to accomplish many challenges and goals set before her over the years. In her academic success, she was recognized for earning the distinction of being placed on the University President’s List for achieving over 4.0 GPA. She currently is a member in the National Society of Leadership and Success and looks forward to many successful years in the educational field making a difference for the children.

Email Ms. Arviso