Around 100 people attended the two public forums hosted by Oxford Schools, to discuss a potential lease agreement between the district and Weiming Education Group (WEG) for a dormitory to potentially be built on school property and paid for by WEG.
After an uproar by members of the public, school board members and school board candidates over the past couple weeks due to the pace at which the project was moving after several months of no public discussion, Superintendent Dr. William Skilling attempted to put the public at ease.
While the original target date to sign the lease agreement was the Oct. 22 board meeting, Skilling assured the crowd that a vote will not happen until after the election, where new board members would be included in on the discussions, including closed session meetings.
‘It really created divisiveness between board members and those who are running for the board,? explained Skilling. ‘I feel responsible that happened because I am the one who asked the board to consider this and move it along faster.?
‘Once we have a good draft that the board feels good about and Weiming feels good about, we’ll have another community forum,? he added.
Skilling said he made a request to the board because the request had been given to him by WEG, in order to open a dormitory in 2015, instead of 2016 as originally planned.
‘The board felt it was essential to host a couple of community forums to give the public an opportunity to become more informed and to give their input and have it heard,? explained Skilling ‘In hindsight, I should not have put the board in the position to make a speedy decision on a lease agreement. The more I work on this agreement with the attorney; I realize it will take more time to complete.?
Lease agreement
He reiterated the district already has a contractual agreement with WEG for students and that all they are currently working out now is where this building is going to be and what that partnership is going to look like when the building’s constructed.
In response to public concerns over the deal, Weiming agreed to shorten the lease from 75 years, which was previously talked about, to 20 years. The agreement on the lease was going to be $1 per year. However, Skilling said Weiming said it would donate $250,000 once the lease is signed, which would cover more than the cost of the land. While it’s difficult to assess given the land is currently a retention pond, it’s estimated to be worth $30,000 per acre. The site contains approximately 2 acres.
‘Weiming said they would be willing to go 20 years because that would ensure that at least they would get their money on investment,? he said.
Building details
The proposed project calls for a residential hall capable of housing 200 international students and be located at the corner of Ray Road and North Oxford Road at the edge of the high school’s parking lot.
The scope of the proposed project drawn up by Steve Auger & Associates Architects, a Lake Orion-based firm, includes a 60,000-square-foot residence hall that will contain 100 two-person dorm rooms, a full kitchen, a cafeteria, eight classroom, a student commons, laundry facilities, bathrooms and reception area. It will also have wireless technology as well as be hardwired for computers.
Skilling said having the hall built on school property will allow them to take advantage of what it provides in additional classroom space, which will be eight classrooms, as well as a dance room. ‘It will increase our student capacity,? he said.
The high school’s current capacity is 85 percent with approximately 1,600 students One hundred percent would be approximately 1,900 students.
‘With the addition of the Weiming residence hall classrooms, we will add another 250 students to our 100 percent capacity making our total capacity 2,350,? Skilling noted.
The additional classrooms will be used during the day to house special programs including college dual enrollment, the Early College Program, virtual learning and dance.
‘After hours will provide a space for group study and project based learning assignments, as well as house Chinese language and culture classes that will be open to students and the public,? Skilling said. (In the summer, this residence hall will provide a space for us to host band, fine arts and international student camps. We will use the space to conduct referee training and coaching workshops during the off-season.?
‘The summer program will provide revenue for each of the respective programs hosting camps. Speaking of revenue, the projected revenue is 2,771,105 per year. $1,480,200 is transferred to the general fund and the balance is used to support the international program, which is paid out of the tuition revenue.?
‘We will have approximately $340,000 per year to go into (the) capital fund to improve and repair existing facilities and sites on an annual basis,? Skilling said. ‘Tuition revenues will be used to help educate and provide any additional services that international students require such as ESL English as a Second Language) support. However, ESL support will also be used for all second language learners including resident students.?
‘The foundation money we receive will be put into the general fund to benefit all students in the school district,? he continued. ‘No foundation money is used to fund the extra support we need to provide for international students.?
Timeline
When asked to give a timeline as to when a possible agreement could be signed, Skilling said he couldn’t give a definitive answer, other than it would be sometime after the November election and that the newly elected board members would be included in the discussions.
‘As superintendent, if we have an agreement that looks and works good. I wouldn’t be opposed to getting it approved sometime between November and January or after January,? he said. ‘I’m not opposed to doing it, the benefit of getting it approved (sooner than January), if it’s something that’s acceptable and makes sense to everybody is that we would have the opportunity to make use of that facility come next fall.?
Skilling wouldn’t commit when pressed by the public to promise to sign a deal after the new board members take office and can vote.
‘I can’t make a commitment on behalf of the board? I’m just a superintendent. The board has to decide whether they’re comfortable in doing this or not.?
Public concern
There were many questions and concerns raised as to the type of education and material that would be taught to the international students, particular the Chinese. Skilling told the crowd their curriculum would be the same as what they teach Oxford residents. Will they be able to talk about topics such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests?
‘Nothing is changing in our classrooms. They are coming here to learn about our system, our culture, our language. Likewise our students who are learning Chinese language and culture are learning from them as well,? he said. ‘We don’t change any of our curriculum (or) our instructional approaches. It’s all the same.?
Despite the many views of China as a country, government or culture, Skilling believes the United States, Michigan and Oxford need to be prepared to work with China and dwelling the negatives of China won’t work.
‘I will say that isolation doesn’t work. If you want to effect change you have to get into the game. If you feel that China or whatever country isn’t doing what you think they should be doing, then do something. Criticizing, isolating is not going to make a difference,? he said. ‘Whether you think we’re going to compete, or cooperate or you think we’re going to be in conflict with China or any other country are three compelling reasons. Each one on their own merit as to why we should be teaching the language and culture. I am hoping we can effect a positive change for future generations. Conflicts exist due to ignorance.?
To call China ‘communist,? is ‘outdated,? according to Skilling.
‘No communist nation rises to the number one economic power of the world,? he said. ‘You can’t do it on communism, it only happens under capitalism.?
He explained that China is a mixed economy which contains elements of communism, socialism and capitalism.
While Donald Trump and others will say that China is taking advantage of the United States, Skilling agrees, but he blames Americans for it. ‘I’m not angry at China, I’m angry at Americans because we agree to it,? he said. ‘We have become so profit-motivated that we are willing to sell our souls to get our foot in China. We’re willing to give away our patents, we’re willing to give our trade agreements away to get our foot in China. I think that’s a big mistake.?
‘A lot corporations have sold their souls to do business with China and I think short term they gain, long term they lose. How do we avoid that in the future?? Skilling continued. ‘By educating our people. You don’t want to be in a room where you’re only hearing 50 percent of the conversation. Fifty percent of what you don’t understand is the most important part.?
Public reactions
Tom Varner sees the situation with Weiming as a ‘win-win.?
‘I don’t see any down side from anything I’ve heard,? Varner said. ‘It looks like a positive for the community and for the school district. What’s not to like??
‘I’m not against this whole plan as I was prior,? said Rick Rourke. ‘My objection is that this is Oxford Community Schools, not (the) William Skilling School District. He needs to make the community comfortable.?
‘I wish he would make the community comfortable before they engage in discussions or written agreements with other countries. He can call Weiming all he wants, but everything out of China is majority-owned by the Chinese government,? Rourke continued. ‘We are entering into an agreement with the Chinese government. I won’t even enter into a debate with that. I know that. It’s just how the Chinese work, good or bad, it’s a fact.?
Current board member and school board candidate Kim Shumaker said the impression she got both from the forum and from people that she’s talked to in the public is they are concerned about having the facility located on school property.
As for signing the lease agreement, Shumaker still feels strongly that decision should be left to the next board.
‘The very real potential is that four of us (current board members) are not going to be there, so that brings different perspectives and voices to the board,? she said. ‘They ultimately are going to have enact whatever decision is made and I would like to see that decision rest in their hands.?
According to school board candidate Joyce Brasington, there is nowhere in this Weiming contract that requires Oxford to provide an on-site dormitory.
‘We do not have to act on Weiming’s request to build a dormitory on Oxford Community Schools? property,? she said.