FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Superintendent Tim Throne Announces Retirement
Oxford, Michigan – October 13, 2021– Superintendent Tim Throne announced last night at the school board meeting that he will retire from Oxford Community Schools after the first of the year (2022) after seven years as the superintendent and 21 years with the District.
In a letter to the school community, Mr. Throne shared what a true honor it has been to serve the Oxford Community. He expressed sincere appreciation to both past and present board members and employees for their work in providing opportunities and educational pathways for our students only found in Oxford. He thanked the school community for their trust in the Board, administrators, all of the employees, and himself by sharing their students and their education with them stating, “Trust is only one of our core values, but I believe it all starts with trust.”
Mr. Throne’s retirement announcement went on to share, “I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished over the last seven years. Instead of listing a bunch of numbers and stats about our amazing accomplishments, I want to let you know that I am most proud of our collaborative effort to build Team O. Since day one, the most important task to which I had to attend was building a culture of trust and appreciation not only for the welfare of our students and employees, but also for the community as a whole. It has been very challenging and required a great deal of time. While I am extremely pleased with the results of this endeavor, I also want to remind all of us how fragile the bonds of trust can be. Once they are broken, they may take years to mend; in fact, they may never heal. Team O — the students, the employees, and the community — must remain steadfast in its commitment to, and its love for, one another. We must appreciate and listen to those with whom we may not agree, for they are all our teammates. We must do everything possible to build one another up, not tear one another down (particularly behind the guise of social media). There are and will always be significant external influences over which we do not have control. However, every day we make a conscious decision to Bring our Best, Become our Best, Be kind, and have a Ball for the success of Team O. I promise you that if we continue to follow this game plan of the 4B’s, we will remain humble and compassionate, yet poised for greatness!”
Although Mr. Throne was eligible to retire last year, now is the right time. “As I am sure many of you have felt, the past couple of years have seemed like dog years as far as work goes. Said another way, it has been like calling a snow day every day, again and again. I am not retiring because of the last 19 months, but, if I am completely honest with you, it has certainly sped up my timeline.”
“We are in a position to take our district to the next level; our greatest days are ahead of us and there is much work to be done. In good faith, I cannot start some of these things knowing that I will not be here to see them through. It is my intent, however, to follow our game plan with all of my efforts until I cross the finish line. In the meantime, I have every confidence the School Board will work diligently to ensure a smooth transition of leadership in the months ahead.”
Following Supt. Throne’s announcement President Donnelly responded to him, “We love you and thank you for your hard work and helping this district to be where it is.” The district is grateful for Tim’s leadership, vision, and strategic planning to pave a future path of growth for the district, and his commitment to building positive community partnerships. Educational pathways within the District flourished under his watch such as Oxford Virtual Academy, Oxford Early College Program, Career and Technical Education Programming, and our International Baccalaureate programming. He leaves the District at the completion of a three-series bond that has restored the facilities and grounds to safe, functional, and beautiful shape. Oxford’s bus fleet is new and the District now has one-to-one technology devices for our students. Last night Oxford Community Schools received a flawless audit from Yeo & Yeo CPAs and Business Consultants reporting the district in a very solid and strong financial situation. Mr. Throne’s humble nature is unparalleled and he will be truly missed. The School Board has approved to hire the Michigan Leadership Institute to search for the next Oxford Community Schools Superintendent.
Mr. Throne is looking forward to spending more time with his wife Stephanie, who selflessly gave her unwavering support through the years, his family, friends and possibly pursuing some other opportunities. He is especially looking forward to making new memories with his three grandchildren, children, and his parents who are all out of state, and his mother-in-law.