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The Oxford School District is located in the northeast region of Mississippi in Oxford, the county seat of Lafayette County. Oxford is the home of the University of Mississippi and has one of the best-educated populations in the Magnolia State. The District’s enrollment is growing at a steady rate, from 2725 students in the 1992-1993 school year to 3174 students in 2002-2003. During the time of the site visit, Robert E. King was serving as Acting Superintendent, since Dr. John Jordan had recently left for the capital city of Jackson to be Deputy State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Jordan had served the school district for eight years. The Board of Education had engaged Dr. Richard A. Boyd, Lead Auditor in this review, and Director of the Center for Education Search Services, to conduct a national search for a superintendent to begin work on July 1, 2002. From November 5, 2002 through June 30, 2003, the Board has employed Dr. Gary Druckemiller to serve as Interim Superintendent. Dr. Wanda L. Dean, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, was largely responsible for providing SchoolMatch with preliminary data and arranging site team visits to each of the 5 comprehensive schools in the District for Drs. Boyd and Bainbridge. Voters in the school district have a tradition of approving bond issues to provide necessary facilities for a growing school population. The close working relationship between the schools and faculty/staff of the University of Mississippi creates for students an unusually rich array of learning opportunities. From “action lab” field experience students from the University of Mississippi’s education school to professors teaching classes in the schools, the cooperation is unusual and highly observable.
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