OXFORD – Oxford Academy Central School District has seen a number of changes over the last year, not the least of which is the appointment of Sylvia Root as interim superintendent.
Root took over in August following the departure of Randy Squier and will remain until a permanent replacement is found, she said.
The last two months have held many challenges for an interim superintendent coming from outside the area. All three schools in the district have been undergoing significant construction over the last year due to a $1 million capital project which includes new gym floors, bathroom remodeling, and a complete refurbishing of the auditorium seating.
However, according to Root, the biggest challenge has come in the form of Tropical Storm Lee, which caused extensive flooding to the Southern Tier earlier this month. Included in the flooding was the Oxford Middle School, which was almost completely surrounded by the rising Chenango River.
“I was lucky to have great people to surround myself with from the community,” Root said. “It’s what anyone in the face of such a disaster would hope for.”
Due to the extensive repairs and construction done to the school, members of the community were especially eager to prevent a repeat of the 2006 floods which caused more than $1 million in damage to the school, Root explained.
“It’s a beautiful school and it would be terrible to lose it,” she said. “But the most important thing is we were able to get the children right back to school ... they didn’t have to go to a temporary location.”
Root retired in 2005, but has taken three opportunities to work as an interim principal. She explained that she thoroughly enjoyed the process of helping a district with the transition. Prior to retiring, she worked as superintendent at Potsdam Central School from 2001-2005, and has assisted in two other interim positions in 2007 at the Warren County School district in Warren Co., Pa. and in 2008 at the Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School District.
“I think being superintendent is the best position in the district,” she said. “You really get to make a difference as well as work to empower and support the staff.”
Root explained that she has no part in choosing the next superintendent, only in helping make the transition as smooth as possible. She also said that during her time in office, her main goal is to promote communication throughout the district.
An advertisement has been submitted for Squier’s post and applications must be submitted to the Board of Education by Nov. 30. However, Root explained there’s no guarantee how long it will take to find a replacement.
“It could be anywhere from March to June,” she said. “But as long as I’m here, I’ll be focusing on the safety and welfare of our kids.”