By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
ssoldan@mihomepaper.com
OXFORD TWP. — During the special meeting on April 16, the Oxford Community Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to hire and enter contract negotiations with Dr. Tonya Milligan for the position of superintendent.
The decision came after board discussion about two of the superintendent finalists, and who each board member preferred for the position.
“We announced in our (previous) special meeting that we were going to do site visits for all the candidates,” said board President Dr. Erin Reis. “At the time, we had three. Mr. David Raleigh had then withdrawn from the selection materials, so there were two site visits that occurred.”
Members of the school board, as well as staff members, went on April 5 to visit the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw where finalist Dr. Cormac Lynn is superintendent. The following week, the group went to visit Milligan’s district in Columbus, Ohio where she is a superintendent.
“The process has been educational, it’s been exciting, it’s been informative, and I think it’s been inclusive and transparent,” said Reis. “Selecting a superintendent is one of the most important decisions we’ll make as a group for our students, for our families and for our community. The one thing we have continued to hold the line on is that this is a critical selection and how our superintendent needs to not only possess the qualifications of an educational leader, but someone who can demonstrate empathy while promoting academic achievement. Someone who can role-model resilience and accountability, and someone who understands our community’s most precious asset, and that’s our children.”
Board members Reis, James Sommers, Heather Schafer, Colleen Schultz and Mary Hanser voiced their support for Milligan as their choice. Board members Mike Whitney and Amanda McDonough voiced their support for Lynn as their choice.
“I think it’s important to note that the two candidates we do have, I think, are very excellent educators,” said Reis. “That was evident in both sessions. There was not one that was so incredibly (a) shining star that we left one without feeling a little bit of confliction, as we all reflected.”
The current interim superintendent, Dr. Vickie Markavitch, will stay with the district until June 30, and Milligan is expected to begin July 1.