Central Bucks School District Selects New School Superintendent

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Central Bucks School District has announced its next superintendent of schools and a vote by the school board has been scheduled for May 14 to formalize the decision.

Dr. Steven Yanni is coming to Central Bucks with more than two decades of teaching and leadership experience, including in his current role as superintendent of the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County. Prior to that, Dr. Yanni served as the superintendent in the Upper Dublin School District, also in Montgomery County, from 2018 to 2023, and the New Hope-Solebury School District from 2015 to 2018.

“The board is very excited and pleased to introduce Dr. Yanni to our community," said Karen Smith, the president of the Central Bucks School Board. "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."

Smith added, "Finding someone for this important position with Dr. Yanni’s extensive level of knowledge, proven track record of expanding and advancing educational offerings, and dedication to putting students first, ensures our district’s ability to continue to offer the highest level of quality education.”

The school board is expected to formalize an employment agreement with Dr. Yanni at its meeting on Tuesday, May 14.

According to the school district, 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."

Under Dr. Yanni's leadership, several districts have implemented pioneering initiatives supporting personalized learning, structured literacy, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education, and project-based learning. Dr. Yanni has been a driving force behind efforts to improve access to technology and expand career readiness programs, empowering students to make informed decisions about their post-graduation paths.

"I consider it both an honor and privilege to be chosen to serve as the next superintendent of the Central Bucks School District," said Dr. Yanni. "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, who lives in Bucks County, said he will maintain his role in Lower Merion through the end of the school year, according to the Ardmore-Merion-Wynnewood Patch.

Public Forum To Introduce Dr. Yanni To The Community

The school board will introduce Dr. Yanni to the community during a public forum on Monday, May 13 at the Central Bucks High School West Auditorium, 375 West Court St., Doylestown 18901. The event will also be live-streamed and recorded, with those links to be made available on the school district’s website at https://www.cbsd.org.

In addition to introductory remarks from Dr. Yanni, the forum will include student performances and a question-and-answer period facilitated by Dr. Mark Hoffman, executive director of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU).

The board also welcomes input from district stakeholders on which themes should be covered in the questions presented to Dr. Yanni. Community members are invited to submit up to two questions for consideration through the following survey: https://bit.ly/CBSDCommunityForum. Questions may be submitted up until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8.

Submitted questions will be consolidated by common themes to allow Dr. Yanni to address the maximum number of topics possible during the forum. The format for the evening does not provide an opportunity for questions or comments from the audience during the forum itself. Instead, all questions must be submitted in advance using the link above.

Dr. Yanni will receive a copy of all submitted questions before the meeting. The Board has chosen this format to ensure that the maximum number of questions can be asked by the moderator in the time allotted.

The Search Process And Job Offer

The Board began its search for a new superintendent in February engaging with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit to serve as its search consultant.

The Bucks IU began the process by conducting a community survey from Feb. 28 through March 8 to identify the community’s opinions and priorities. More than 960 parents, guardians, taxpayers, students, staff, and other community members responded to the survey, offering feedback on the ideal characteristics and attributes of the future superintendent. The survey also captured what the community believes to be the district’s priorities for the immediate and long-term future.

The survey results were shared with the community on the district website and through district communication channels.

The IU then facilitated a comprehensive search process, actively recruiting qualified candidates and advertising the position in local, regional, state, and national publications. The position was advertised from Feb. 27 through March 24. Thirty-two candidates applied for the position. All decisions relating to interviews and candidate selection rested solely with the Central Bucks Board of School Directors.

After reviewing all the applications, the board selected nine to advance to a first round of interviews. Six candidates were from Pennsylvania and one each were from Delaware, Iowa, and New Jersey.

Following the initial interviews, the board invited three applicants back for a second, increasingly rigorous round of questioning, which also required the candidates to complete writing exercises and prepare presentations relevant to district priorities.

The board invited two applicants to return for a third round of interview questioning after which, the decision was reached to offer Dr. Steven Yanni the position of superintendent of schools.