Oxbridge Academy Foundation, Inc.

Oxbridge Academy Foundation, Inc.
Location
3151 North Military Trail
West Palm Beach, Florida
United States
Coordinates 26°43′24″N 80°06′45″W / 26.7234°N 80.1125°W / 26.7234; -80.1125Coordinates: 26°43′24″N 80°06′45″W / 26.7234°N 80.1125°W / 26.7234; -80.1125
Information
Type Private
Motto For A Lifetime
Established 2011
Principal John Klemme
Faculty 154 [1]
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 520[2] (2016)
Student to teacher ratio 9:1 [3]
Color(s) Red, White, Navy Blue
Mascot Thunderwolf
Nickname Thunderwolves, Oxy
Website www.oapb.org

Oxbridge Academy Foundation, Inc. is a private coeducational college-preparatory high school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Oxbridge Academy serves grades 9–12. Aimed at academically gifted students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, the school has physical therapist on staff, chef-prepared lunches, an equestrian club, a sailing team, a flight simulator, and a football team which caused some scandal in 2016.[4]

History

The school was funded with a $50 million donation from Bill Koch.[5][6] Koch's goal was to create a school for his own children where academically gifted students of all socioeconomic backgrounds could do hands-on projects and learn by problem solving, a place where students ruled.[4] Oxbridge was opened in under a year on a 45-acre campus that once held a Jewish community center.[4] By 2016 he had spent more than $75 million on the school.[4]

In 2011, Koch hired Robert C. Parsons to lead the school under titles president and chief executive. Parsons had previously been chief financial officer at the United States Naval Academy where he had been previously suspended for financial mismanagement.[4] Parsons compensation package was worth $1 million, with an annual salary of about $600,000 per year.[4]

By 2014, the school added a football team at the request of the student body. Admissions standards were changed for football players, notably an athlete who read at a third-grade level was given a full scholarship.[4] The new head football coach earned more than $200,000 a year.[4] Accusations arose of kickbacks, grade-changing, excessive spending and violations of the rules governing high school sports.[4] In April 2016, Mr. Koch announced that Academic Dean John Klemme would serve as the School's president, placing Mr. Parsons on paid leave pending an investigation of harassment claims.[7]

On May 27, 2016, Koch fired Parsons and declined to renew the contracts of Director of Athletics Craig Sponsky and the football coach Doug Socha; Koch noted that a "power elites group" in the school "ran the asylum".[8]

In July, David Rosow was elected President and CEO of Oxbridge Academy.[9]

Athletics recruiting violations

In 2016, after reports of mismanagement and the overwhelming of the school's academics by the recruitment of athletes who were poor students (notably one football player with a third-grade reading level),[4] the school self-reported athletic recruiting violations and forfeited all athletic victories for the previous two years, including three FHSAA district championships.[10]

Suicide and anti-bullying program

On January 28, 2012, a 16-year-old student with a history of depression committed suicide near the School's campus, with a gun that he brought from home.[11][12] Since this tragedy, the School has instituted a bullying prevention program and hired counsellors for its students.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Our Teachers Oxbridge Academy Foundation, Inc., Sept. 6, 2016
  2. ↑ School Profile Oxbridge Academy Foundation, Inc., Nov. 22, 2016
  3. ↑ Quick Facts Oxbridge Academy Foundation, Inc., Sept. 6, 2016
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Frances Robles, Upheaval Amid ‘Alarming’ Revelations at William Koch’s Florida School, The New York Times, June 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ William Koch page 32 April 2013 Florida Trend magazine
  6. ↑ Kevin Thompson Oxbridge Academy near West Palm Beach seeks to be region's 'critical thinking' private school June 5, 2011 Palm Beach Post
  7. ↑ Tony Doris Exclusive: Oxbridge CEO on leave, pending internal investigation April 22, 2016 Palm Beach Post
  8. ↑ Letter to Oxbridge Community, May 27, 2016, accessed June 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ In 4-page letter to parents, Koch says Oxbridge righting its missteps Aug 02, 2016 Palm Beach Post
  10. ↑ Palm Beach Post: Financial aid inconsistencies root of Oxbridge sports teams’ forfeits, August 2, 2016, accessed August 20, 2016.
  11. ↑ Oxbridge Academy student committed suicide near West Palm Beach school February 2, 2012 Sun-Sentinel
  12. ↑ Jose Lambiet Oxbridge School Principal on Suicide: “The Student Was Bright, Talented Young Man!” February 2, 2012 Palm Beach Post Gossip Extra
  13. ↑ Ken LaVicka HS football coaches working to end bullying November 27, 2013 ESPN Radio 760
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