Superintendent Throne has issued the following statement:
Dear Wildcat Nation,
Like many of our administrators, staff members, and families, I have been totally consumed by this tragedy. Additionally, many of our families and staff members have understandably asked me about the status of my retirement. Previously, my last scheduled day in the district was to be Friday, Jan. 21, 2022.
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. I want to thank our community and staff for rallying together through this challenging ordeal. We have also appreciated the support, prayers and encouragement from people within Oxford, across our state, and around the world.
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. I will keep all our students, families, and staff updated on this process.
Oxford StrOng,
Tim Throne, Superintendent