OXFORD – On Tuesday, June 14, Oxford Academy and Central School Superintendent Randy Squier spent an hour at Hoppie’s Ice Cream Parlor in Oxford. During that time, he spoke at length with Evening Sun Reporter Melissa Stagnaro about topics related to the school system, including his impending departure from the district; the strides Oxford has made in terms of technology and professional development; and the June 23 capital project vote.

Leaving Oxford

Squier confirmed that, while he has yet to tender his resignation, he has given the Oxford School Board notice of his intention to accept a position with another district. Where is he going? Coxsackie-Athens Central School in Greene County. With just under 1,600 students, Squier said the district is slightly larger than Sherburne-Earlville in size. It operates on an annual budget of roughly $25 million.

Oxford, in comparison, serves approximately 850 students on an annual budget of $16.9 million.

“It’s bittersweet,” Squier said, explaining that while he’s excited about the new opportunity, he, his wife Maureen and their three children will be leaving behind good friends.

One of the things he says he will miss is his role as primary school principal, a duty he took on last fall because of budget cuts.

“It was a lot harder to leave because I was principal,” he said.

He also complimented the building’s staff, saying they work well together and are committed to putting kids first.

The transition

Squier said he is planning for a mid-August transition. The school board will need to use the time between now and then to begin search for his replacement.

“The first step will be to work with the BOCES district superintendent to get an interim superintendent,” the administrator explained.

From there, the board will need to decide what they want the administrative structure to look like (i.e. will they continue to combine the duties of superintendent and primary school principal), define what they are looking for in a chief school officer, determine who be involved with the search process and establish a timeline.

“This is the biggest decision a school board makes,” he said. “I think our board realizes that.”

District achievements

Squier is proud of what the district has accomplished during his leadership.

“I think we’re headed in the right direction,” he said. According to the superintendent, the district is already ahead of the curve on “90 percent” of the changes being instituted by New York as part of the State Education Department’s reform agenda. That includes the using benchmarking data in “constructive, positive ways” to inform decisions and instruction.

“We’re having the right conversations as professionals,” he said.

He pointed to the district’s commitment to “holding strong with the UPK program” despite budget challenges as another success.

The way in which technology is being used in the classroom is another area which he is particularly proud

“It’s being used on a daily basis by kids,” he reported.

The best part? The investment in mobile learning devices has been accomplished with what Squier referred to as a “net zero increase in the budget.” Instead of buying desktops, he explained, the money budgeted for replacing outdated equipment is being invested in this area.

For a example, a partnership with Verizon made it possible for each of this year’s eighth graders to have their own netbooks, which they used to complete assignments in and out of class.

“Maggie (Dorsey) has done a fabulous job with that,” Squier said.

The netbooks themselves did not cost the district a dime.

“We’re just paying for the 3-G service,” the superintendent explained, which, incidentally, is BOCES aidable.

According to Squier, Dorsey’s students will take the learning devices with them to the High School in the fall and next year’s eighth graders will get a new set.

Per the school’s contract with the provider, the equipment will be upgraded every 10 months and the district will get to keep the cast offs which younger grades will use without the 3-G service.

“We’ll cycle the old and they’ll become the old desktops,” Squier explained.

The superintendent also applauded High School Science Teacher Mark Muller for his use of technology with his biology and earth science students.

The superintendent said the district has been measuring the effect use of this technology is having on students. Already, he says, they’ve seen a change in student’s homework habits. Namely, kids who weren’t doing it before, are doing it now.

“It goes right to our mission as a district (of developing self-directed learners),” Squier said.

And the district plans to press on even further next year, when Jon Rogers’ eleventh grade social studies students will each have iPads to work with.