New Central Bucks superintendent emails parents: 'I am a unifier'

New Superintendent Steven Yanni sent his first official email to Central Bucks School District parents on Thursday.

Yanni started his new job on July 1, just six weeks after the board unanimously approved his five-year contract to replace Abram Lucabaugh, who left in November. Yanni's email to parents touched on many of the issues that Lucabaugh and the acting superindentent, James Scanlon, had faced in the past year.

What the email from Central Bucks superintendent said

Yanni wrote that he's aware of "topical issues affecting education", including social media and "global affairs."

Social media and global affairs have been hot topics at school board meetings since this past spring, after some parents accused a student group of posting an antisemitic and inappropriately political post on its Instagram page, and the group's advisor, a Spanish teacher, was accused of encouraging students to follow the Instagram account for his business, which contained posts that some parents considered antisemitic. The administration conducted an investigation and found that the teacher had not violated existing policies.

The school board is currently reviewing at least four policies related to the controversy, according to notes from the May policy committee meeting, including two related to social media.

Yanni said in his email that "media and public spotlight" can "heighten emotions and discord."

Central Bucks has made national news in recent years for contentious school board meetings over policies affecting COVID policies, library books and queer students.

The district is currently the subject of eight Title IX investigations by the Office for Civil Rights. Most Bucks County school districts are not under any OCR investigations.

The superintendent referred to himself in the email as a "unifier," a term he also used at a community forum in May. "The journey of Central Bucks — the challenges faced and those ahead — offers us a chance to come together stronger than ever," he wrote.

Yanni also highlighted recently approved changes in the district that he will now oversee, including the grade realignment and full-day kindergarten, both set to launch in 2026.