Dr. William C. Skilling will be the new superintendent of Oxford Area Community Schools.
‘He’s got a fabulous vision of where education should go,? said Board of Education President Colleen Schultz. ‘I think he’s capable of taking Oxford Schools to the next level.?
The school board Thursday night voted 6-0 to offer the job to Skilling, superintendent of Webberville Community Schools since 2003.
Schultz said she wanted someone who was extremely enthusiastic ? or ‘on fire? as she put it ? about Oxford Schools and public education in general and Skilling ‘fit the bill.?
Skilling, who plans to move to the Oxford area, signed a contract Friday. The board approved it Tuesday night.
The contract runs for three years, beginning July 1, 2007 and expiring June 30, 2010. Skilling’s starting annual salary will be $131,500. It will increase by $5,000 each year, reaching a maximum of $141,500.
‘My wife (Nancy) and my children are not only excited, they’re ecstatic about coming to Oxford,? Skilling said. ‘This is a place where my wife and I would like to finish my career as superintendent, retire, and have our grandchildren someday visit us there.?
Skilling’s three school age children are the main reason he decided to apply for the Oxford job.
‘I was looking for a district that placed a high value on academic excellence, the arts and also supports athletics,? he explained. ‘All three (of my children) are involved in performing arts programs as well as athletics and are good students.?
His sons Zac and Scott will be entering the fourth and seventh grades, respectively, while daughter Mallory will be a freshman at the high school. Skilling’s other three children are in college.
Professionally, Skilling said he was ready to head a school district that wasn’t in need of a drastic overhaul like Webberville was when he arrived there four years ago.
‘I’ve been a superintendent in Webberville for four years, but it’s like I’ve lost eight years of my life,? he said. ‘That’s the kind of stress you go through when you’re involved in major change.?
Oxford will give him the opportunity to improve upon an already solid foundation.
‘I wanted to go to a district where the board is pushing the superintendent toward excellence versus the superintendent having to change a whole culture,? he said. ‘Like any great school system, (in Oxford) you’re just continuing to look for incremental improvement.?
As with most school districts, funding is the ‘biggest challenge? Oxford’s facing.
‘The challenge today, given the financial difficulties we face in Michigan, is the ability to not only maintain the excellence Oxford always had, but to continue to improve upon it.?
One of Skilling’s first priorities as superintendent will be to become ‘visible and active in the community.?
‘What Oxford needs is a superintendent who can build strong coalitions not only within the school district, but between the school district and the different community entities,? he said. ‘To achieve the excellence we need in our schools today and continue to improve on that, you cannot do that in isolation.?
Skilling plans to continue his status as a Rotarian by joining Oxford’s club. ‘I want to get involved with that group right away,? he said.
But Skilling isn’t interested in building one-sided relationships in which the school district is the only one that benefits.
‘Not only are we looking for support from the community, but as a school district we can give support back to the community, so it’s a two-way street,? he explained.
‘It needs to be a partnership? where ‘both parties win? by receiving benefits equally, Skilling noted.
Skilling plans to spend part of his first 100 days as superintendent getting to know the school system from board members to teachers to support staff.
‘It’s important to build relationships as quickly as possible in order to build trust and confidence in the people that I’m working with,? he said.
Skilling also plans to identify people who can be brought together to create a strategic plan, ‘a common shared vision,? for the district that includes goals, a plan of action and indicators to determine whether success is being achieved.
The coalition to create this plan would include school district employees, local government officials, business people, parents and at-large community members.
Skilling said it’s important for the district to identify where it is and where it needs to go by examining the ‘leading indicators of change? both locally and globally.
A strategic plan will help Oxford determine ‘what are the essential skills and knowledge that our kids should have when they graduate.?
Once it’s been discovered where the ‘gaps? are between ‘where we are and where we want to be, where we need to be,? then goals and strategies can be created and a plan of action implemented.
Because information, technology and knowledge are rapidly changing and expanding, the plan would need to be revisited every six months.
‘It stays a living document,? he said.
A public meeting would be held every June to update everyone in the district on how the plan is progressing.
Then in December, the strategic planning committee would meet to look at the plan and see what adjustments or changes need to be made based on how the district is progressing, according to Skilling. ‘You will definitely get results following this type of plan,? he said.
Until Skilling can sell his home in Webberville, he and his family plan to rent a place in the Oxford area this summer. ‘I want to get my children immersed in Oxford as soon as possible,? he said.

Skilling’s Highlights…
n He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in K-12 Educational Administration (Michigan State University, 1992)
n He has 26 years experience in education
n He taught high school political science and economics for 11 years
n From 1992-2002 he was principal of Byron Center High School, which received Blue Ribbon awards from the state in 1995 and 1999. The school received a national Blue Ribbon in 2000.
n As superintendent in Webberville, he passed a 1-mill sinking fund for 10 years, an $8.5 million bond, a ten-year 18-mill non-homestead renewal and a two-year, 2-mill non-homestead restoration as a cushion against Headlee rollbacks.
n In Webberville, he outsourced business operations to the intermediate school district, privatized food service and outsourced bus maintenance.
n He increased revenue for Webberville Schools by more than $700,000 in the last three years through student enrollment growth.
n Webberville’s elementary and middle schools all experienced three consecutive years of improved MEAP scores. The high school recently began an improvement in its MEAP scores.
n Instituted a new K-12 fine arts requirement in Webberville.
n Built the Spartan Center in Webberville, which supports athletics, recreation and fitness activities along with providing medical care, physical therapy and an athletic trainer.