By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
OXFORD TWP. – During an Oxford Community Schools Board of Education special meeting on March 4, the school board narrowed down potential superintendent candidates from 19 candidates to five.
“What will happen next is that each one of these candidates will be contacted and notified officially that the board has elected to interview them,” said Sarena Shivers of Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the firm conducting the superintendent search for the district.
The first candidate approved is David Raleigh, the current assistant superintendent of district services for Franklin County Public Schools in Kentucky. He will be interviewed at 5:30 p.m. on March 13.
“I liked this candidate,” said board Vice President Amanda McDonough. “This candidate has awards for continuous improvement, this candidate mentions having grit and resilience.”
The second candidate approved for interview is Michael Giromini, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at Novi Community School District in Michigan. He was interviewed on March 11.
“I think what stood out to me with this candidate is prior to COVID, they had rolled out trauma-informed training for teachers,” said board President Dr. Erin Reis. “So they’re familiar with what it is we’re asking for.”
The third candidate approved for interview is Jennifer Herbstreit, current assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Holly Area Schools. She was interviewed on March 12.
“I like their overall experience that they’ve had,” said James Sommers, board secretary. “Very similar to stuff that we have here.”
The fourth candidate to move into the first round of interviews is Tonya Milligan, current assistant principal of Columbus City Schools in Ohio. She was interviewed on March 11.
“I was actually impressed with some of the stuff this individual has done throughout their career,” said Reis. “In general, there were some online interviews that were well-published. Impressive work.”
The fifth and final candidate to be approved for interview is Cormac Lynn, the current superintendent at Catholic Diocese of Saginaw. He was interviewed on March 12.
“I talked to a former parent who worked with this candidate, and they love them,” said board member Colleen Schultz. “They said they felt like the candidate was an excellent academic leader and a great role model.”
Following the public interviews, the candidates will be narrowed down to a second round of interviews prior to choosing a new superintendent.