Oxford schools superintendent will pause retirement in response to tragedy
Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne will hit pause on his planned retirement as he helps the school district cope with the aftermath of a shooting at the high school that killed four students.
Throne, who was supposed to retire Jan. 21, announced Monday in an email to parents that won't happen. He didn't set a timeline for how long he'll remain in charge of the Oakland County school district.
"Trying to support our families, staff and community members as they grieve as well as supporting the safe and slow return to school has been my mission as your superintendent," he wrote in a message also posted to the district's website. "In recent days, I have been discussing my planned retirement with my family, my pastor, and my Board and have made the decision to hit pause on my planned retirement to avoid adding additional uncertainty or disruption to our school community, which has suffered so much.
"I remain solely focused on responding to this tragedy, and I am committed to making sure our students, families, and staff are fully supported during this difficult time for our community. Now is simply not the right time for me to leave.
"In the coming weeks, I will be working with district administration to help ensure a smooth transition and give our School Board some additional time to complete its superintendent search while we continue to heal as a community."
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Throne had announced his retirement in mid-October.
"As I am sure many of you have felt, the past couple of years have seemed like dog years as far as work goes," he wrote in a message to the community then. "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.
"I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends and possibly pursuing some other opportunities. I am especially looking forward to making new memories with my three grandchildren, my children, and my parents who are all out of state, and my mother-in-law. I am sure I will continue to see many of you around town."
Applications to fill Thorne's spot were due by the end of the day Monday. The board was supposed to meet Wednesday night to discuss those applications and select those who would move on to the first round of interviews. The schedule called for the new superintendent to be hired in early February and start shortly thereafter.
It's unclear how that timeline will be changed because of the fallout from the shooting.
The school board is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the district middle school for its first meeting since the attack.
Ethan Crumbley, 15, has been charged with first-degree murder and terrorism causing death stemming from the Nov. 30 shooting that also left seven injured, including a teacher.
The high school sophomore is accused of killing Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17.
Crumbley is being housed in the Oakland County Jail along with his parents, Jennifer Crumbley, 43, and James Crumbley, 45.
Jennifer and James Crumbley each have been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. All three Crumbleys have pleaded not guilty.
Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford schools superintendent to pause retirement, help in response to tragedy
