PayPal isn't really used in China; everyone uses Alipay (支付宝) instead and it's extremely unlikely that the school would be set up to receive money through PayPal. Within China, almost everyone would just do a bank transfer or pay cash.

If you need to get money from home, pretty much any Visa/MC debit card will work in an ATM without issue and cost at most 3% in forex fees. Credit card cash advances are also a viable option, though obviously more expensive.

If all else fails, you can do an international wire transfer once you're back in the US, but expect to pay $40 or so in fees at most major banks.