A third community forum concerning further details of the partnership between the Weiming Education Group ( WEG), a private Chinese company, and Oxford Schools is set for Nov. 13 at Oxford High School’s Fine Arts Center lobby, located at 745 N. Oxford Road, starting at 6:30 p.m.
‘The meeting is really the third opportunity for more community members to come and get more information as to why we’re having a residence hall (and) why we’re looking at building it on school property versus off school property,? explained Superintendent Dr. William Skilling. ‘The second reason is I think at that time we’ll have the lease (agreement) pretty well determined.?
Skilling noted they also have to validate for certain that the site they’re looking at, on the edge of the high school parking lot at the corner of Ray Road and N. Oxford Road, will work or not. So far the feedback he’s received from civil engineers and other professionals who have looked at the site is that they can mitigate the retention pond that is there and create an additional retention pond elsewhere, which has been of concern to some people. The other issue will be verifying that the soils are okay.
‘It can be built on that location as of what we know today,? Skilling added. ‘We’re waiting for final approval from those who are evaluating the site and working with the attorney to get all the important things we will want in the lease agreement that helps to protect the district (as well as) Weiming. They need a certain level of protection as well because they’re really the ones taking the greatest risk by far.?
Skilling said at the Nov. 13 meeting, they will be able to give greater detail about their partnership to the public. When they signed the original partnership back in October 2013, he said they knew there would be some changes to make to the contract, which includes adding the residence hall component.
‘We didn’t try to include the residence hall because we didn’t know enough at that time to do it,? Skilling said. ‘We just thought we would make some necessary changes when it came time to build the residence hall.?
There will also be amendments to the partnership agreement because the number of students has changed. The contracts signed back in October, stated that the number of students would be 200 with the goal of adding an additional 100 students who would be placed in neighboring districts.
Now that the target count is a maximum of 200 students, Skilling said that change will have to be made, along with the length of the partnership agreement. Currently, the contract states that the initial agreement shall be three years and 10 ? months. The new agreement will probably be for 20 years in order to match the lease agreement.
‘I don’t know if there is anything else to amend,? he noted. ‘The attorney is really working with both agreements simultaneously, so that they are congruent when they’re completed.?
Because Skilling will be on medical leave at the time of Nov. 13 forum, Deputy Superintendent Tim Throne will host it.
Consultant for Weiming
At the second community forum regarding Weiming held on Monday, Oct. 20, Skilling let it be known to the crowd that he was a paid consultant for Weiming, prior to the entity becoming partners with Oxford.
‘I used to consult for them from 2012 to August of 2013,? he told this reporter. ‘I had to of course sever the consulting for us to do this partnership.?
While many would argue that there appears to be a ‘conflict of interest,? Skilling said he understands where people might think that, but it’s not the case.
‘They started talking to me in June of 2013 and said ‘we really want to partner with Oxford, you’re the best program.? I talked to the board about it and had our attorney review and give us a written opinion,? Skilling said. ‘He said there is absolutely no problem here whatsoever because (I) was going to sever (the consulting relationship) before (we got) into partnership or sign any contracts or anything like that with Weiming.?
‘As superintendents, it’s standard in their contracts to be able to teach and consult,? he continued. ‘The contract that I received here, it was written in there to begin with. It’s common.?
His contract states, ‘So long as such does not interfere with his express or implied employment duties (as superintendent), he may serve as a consultant to other districts, other educational agencies or associations or private entities either pubic or private, lecture, engage in writing activities and speaking engagements, and engage in other activities which are of short-term duration at his discretion, keeping the president of the Board of Education informed.?
When asked how much he was paid for the work, Skilling replied that it was ‘confidential.? He was also asked if he had done any consulting previously with Beijing Channel Consulting (BCC), who is also a partner with Oxford.
‘I’ve done different consulting for lots of different groups,? he replied. ‘I don’t consult with companies that I’m currently working with in the line of work in which (the district) is doing business.?