In response to the article regarding the infomercial on Channel 7 I have a few questions. I now have enough information to decide I believe school of choice is not for Oxford and would like some questions answered.
At this point it does not sound good to me regarding my child’s future in the Oxford school system. Dr. Skilling stated that ‘our goal is to grow our student enrollment significantly?, whose goal is that, not mine and not the goal of many parents of school age children I have spoken with about the subject.
I don’t know the rules or laws governing schools of choice but I don’t think we have to go to the extent of marketing kids that live in other communities.
If a family wants to move to Oxford because they want to contribute to the municipal property tax base, live here, shop here and send their kids to Oxford schools, great, I’m all for it.
If we want to have students come here under school of choice, live in another community, shop there and pay property tax there, use the resources that should go to our kids from Oxford I don’t agree. I wonder what the other side of the balance sheet is.
We get $7,500 for each school of choice student according to the article; okay, what does it cost to educate that student and what resources are being spent on them that could be applied to a resident student? What is the benefit of ‘growing our student enrollment significantly? when it is my understanding our classrooms are currently at capacity? When will the school district ask for an increase in the millage to build a new school because we just can’t educate all these students from other communities under our current building system?
I would like to know what the current percentage of ‘school of choice students? or non-Oxford resident students is today in our school system? I don’t care what communities these kids are coming from, they are not Oxford kids or families. I know that Oxford is not the small town where I grew up and went to school but I would appreciate an education on why this marketing is necessary.
Doesn’t growing the revenues by adding more students to meet financial demands also have a cost? A cost to resident students? A cost in facilities? A cost for the potential of more trouble in the schools? Where does it end, 1,000 student classes, 1,500 student classes?
I live in Oxford because of the smaller community, where my kids will have a chance to play on athletic teams and know all of their classmates when they graduate. I for one am not interested in creating a mega-school district with kids from other communities.
On another note, can I see a show of hands from parents who would rather join the OAA (Lake Orion, Avondale, Pontiac, Farmington Hills, Ferndale to mention a few of the many) as opposed to staying in the Flint Metro league with communities like Lapeer and Brandon.
Sincerely, maybe I missed the school board announcement for public discussion on that decision but I heard nothing about it.
You would think there would have been an article that the decision was being contemplated to get public opinion prior to submitting an application to the league by the Oxford school system, or was that done by design because they already knew what the parents would think?
Whether you’re for or against moving into the OAA there should have been a public discussion held before applying.
Yes, there seems to be a theme for ‘big time? around here lately but from many conversations with residents it is not a ‘goal? we subscribe.
In fact, I have not spoken to any parent of school age children who agrees with ‘our goal? and I have spoken with many.

Michael Neff
Oxford resident and taxpayer

Editor’s Note: Mr. Neff is requesting parents who have questions or comments about Oxford’s Schools of Choice program to please attend the 7 p.m. Monday, April 27 Oxford Board of Education meeting to be held at Crossroads for Youth (930 E. Drahner Rd.).