Who will be the next Central Bucks superintendent? Meet the leading candidate

Jo Ciavaglia, Bucks County Courier Times

Central Bucks School Board could have its new superintendent in place before the end of the school year.

The Bucks County Intermediate Unit announced Thursday that the school board anticipates hiring Steve Yanni at its May meeting. The board has scheduled a May 13 forum at Central Bucks West High School to introduce Yanni to the community.

"We believe his substantial experience as a superintendent will be invaluable to us in Central Bucks and look forward to his leadership as we continue to work to create a bright future for all our students," CBSD Board President Karen Smith said in the release from the BCIU, which assisted the district with its superintendent search.

Yanni was picked as the board's leading candidate out of an initial pool of 32 candidates who applied for the position.

The Central Bucks School Board has picked a proposed new Superintendent Steven Yanni, who most recently was the top administrator in the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County.
The Central Bucks School Board has picked a proposed new Superintendent Steven Yanni, who most recently was the top administrator in the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County.

More CBSD school news What PA law says about administrator severance and what it could mean to Central Bucks

The Central Bucks School District resident most recently served as superintendent for the 8,000-student Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County where he was hired less than a year ago.

He was hired last June and started in his position in August, according to the Lower Merion district website.

Yanni announced his pending departure from Lower Merion on Thursday, according to Patch. He will remain in his current position through the end of the school year and assist with the transition.

During his brief Lower Merion tenure, Yanni oversaw initiatives including full day kindergarten and later start times for district high school students. Both initiatives are scheduled to launch in the 2024-2025 school year.

The Lower Merion community has appreciated Yanni's leadership, but also understand his desire to move forward with an opportunity to work in the district where he lives, Lower Merion School Board President Kerry Sautner said in an email.

"He is well-liked by all and if you meet or work with him, you can see why. He has implemented and furthered key initiatives that will benefit our students, staff and families, Sautner added. "We are so grateful for our growth in the last year."

Before Lower Merion, he served as the top administrator in two smaller Pennsylvania schools: Upper Dublin in Montgomery County, where he worked from 2018 until last year and New Hope-Solebury, where he was promoted from assistant superintendent to superintendent in 2015.

"In this role, I will remain unwavering in my commitment to equipping every student with the essential academic and problem-solving skills needed for personal growth, responsible citizenship, and lifelong learning in a district that focuses on academic excellence, empowerment, and innovative educational practices," Yanni said in the press release.

The districts under his leadership implemented initiatives supporting personalized learning, structured literacy and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education, and project-based learning, according to the IU release.

"As a superintendent, Dr. Yanni has exhibited a deep commitment to cultivating inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive and to the power of collaboration among parents, guardians, educators, and community stakeholders to ensure equitable access to high-quality education and ample opportunities for success.," according to the release.

Yanni would replace Abram Lucabaugh, who left the district in November in what was described as a mutually agreed on separation that took effect one week after the current Democratic board majority board won five seats overturning the former GOP-majority board that Lucabaugh was aligned with.

Lucabaugh's departure and his $700,000-plus severance package, approved by the lame-duck board, four months after the board gave him an early contract renewal, sparked outrage in the community and an ongoing board legal review of the 11th-hour severance agreement.

If you want to attend the community forum for Steven Yanni

The community forum introducing Yanni will start at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of Central Bucks High School West, 375 West Court St., Doylestown. The event will also be live streamed and recorded, with those links available on the school district’s website at https://www.cbsd.org.

The event will include a question-and-answer period moderated by Mark Hoffman, executive director of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit .

Community members can submit up to two questions in advance for consideration through the following survey: https://bit.ly/CBSDCommunityForum. Questions may be submitted up until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. There will not be an opportunity for live questions or comments during the forum.

Submitted questions will be consolidated by common themes to allow for Yanni to address the maximum number of topics possible.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Meet Steve Yanni, the man who could be the next CBSD superintendent