Central Bucks School Board Appoints Interim Superintendent

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Central Bucks School District has a new interim superintendent at the helm.

During a meeting Thursday night, the school board voted 6 to 3 to appoint retired West Chester Area School District Superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon to a six-month term as interim superintendent.

Scanlon will be paid approximately $135,000, which is commensurate with industry-standard superintendent salaries in districts the size of Central Bucks. The district will not contribute to any pension or healthcare benefits, however, they will provide some mileage reimbursement.

Under a separate agreement with the Bucks Intermediate Unit, Scanlon's term can be extended to September 30 at a daily rate of $1,350 with an invoice rate of $1,713.15 if the board needs additional time to complete its search for a permanent superintendent.

Voting in favor of the appointment were Karen Smith, Dana Foley, Susan Gibson, Rick Haring, Mariam Mahmud, and Heather Reynolds. Board members voting against the motion were Debra Cannon, James Pepper, and Lisa Sciscio.

Scanlon - a Central Bucks East graduate and a former principal at Doyle Elementary School - will lead the administrative helm of the district for the next six months while the board searches for a permanent superintendent. He replaces assistant superintendent Dr. Charles Malone who was appointed by the former board to fill the role following the departure of Superintendent Dr. Abram Lucabaugh.

“There was concern (by the incoming board) that asking Dr. Malone to cover both the assistant superintendency and the superintendency did not best serve the district,” said board president Karen Smith explaining the reason for the change. “We also learned that Dr. Malone was covering two supervisory roles as well. We have these full-time roles because they are necessary and vital, particularly during this time when the district is facing multiple lawsuits and a large, very complex realignment project. When one employee is covering four positions it’s impossible to do the job fully and completely. Many tasks fall through the cracks."

Smith said temporarily filling the superintendent’s role with an experienced superintendent and
maintaining the administration's current assistant superintendents in their current roles allows for consistency. The temporary nature of the appointment also means that Dr. Scanlon can provide advice and guidance with no concern as to how it may impact the position, she said.

Smith said the board reached out to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit for assistance with finding potential candidates for the opening. And all board members were invited to be a part of the interview process, said Smith.

“We’d like to publicly offer our gratitude to Dr. Malone for stepping in following the abrupt departure of Dr. Lucabaugh and to all of our cabinet members for filling in during this time.”

After retiring from West Chester in 2021, Scanlon was interim principal at Lower Merion High School for seven months after the tragic death of the school’s leader. He was also interim superintendent in the Octorara School District in Chester County for three months. He
currently leads the Pennsylvania cohort of the American Association of School Administrator’s national superintendent’s certification program. His post-retirement consulting work has extended to mentoring superintendents and supporting school boards and superintendents in developing positive working relationships and public protocols.

Prior to working in West Chester, Scanlon was superintendent in the Brandywine School District in Wilmington, Delaware for three years, and in the Quakertown Community School District for seven years. Scanlon began his career as a middle school English teacher in South Brunswick
Township School District in New Jersey and taught for seven years in the New Hope-Solebury School District. He was a curriculum director and assistant superintendent in the Neshaminy School District. He earned a Master's degree and Educational Doctorate with Distinction from Temple University and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh.

Scanlon is the father of a Central Bucks South graduate. He lives with his wife and their two teenage sons in West Chester. He believes his experience as a parent gives him a valuable perspective as an educator.