Longtime Pennsbury School Director Resigning

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA — TR Kannan, a longtime member of the Pennsbury School Board, is resigning as a school director, with his last meeting on Thursday.

Kannan, a 52-year-old township resident, announced his resignation bid to Patch after informing the school district — which covers Lower Makefield Township, Yardley Borough, and Falls Township — last week.

"I just finished 10 years," Kannan, a school board president for four years of his tenure, told Patch. "This gives me some time to say goodbye to people at my last meeting on Thursday."

Kannan said job constraints and family are among the reasons he is departing from the school districts.

"They've been convincing me to stay, but I've been trying to leave," he said.

While Kannan said "it's a big decision," he believes he's leaving the district in good shape with plans moving ahead for a new Pennsbury High School.

A pharmaceutical executive in the public sector, he has lived in the township for more than 20 years. His two sons are also graduates of Pennsbury High School.

In February 2023, Kannan announced that he would seek a third term as school director. Kannan's current term ends next year.

First elected in 2015, TR Kannan won re-election in 2019, winning both the Democratic and Republican primaries.

"I didn't know I had to campaign and collect money," Kannan said of his first election race.

Kannan also guided the school board through a study of options for a potential Pennsbury-Morrisville school district merger.

Kannan also cast the deciding vote in keeping former Schools Superintendent Bill Gretzula when other school board members wanted a leadership change.

And, maybe his toughest challenge, was guiding the school district through the COVID pandemic from 2019 to 2022.

"That was a great accomplishment," Kannan said. "We needed to decide about opening schools and wearing masks. But we were able to maintain the safety and security of the kids and our staff."

He will also never forget the graduation ceremonies involving his children. Kannan said he got to hand diplomas to both his sons. His youngest son graduated from high school last year.

"I think that's what I enjoyed, seeing kids succeed. We had 7,000 kids graduate during my time," Kannan said.