Latest news with #AbramLucabaugh
CBS News
28-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Centennial School District board in Pennsylvania votes to approve Abram Lucabaugh as superintendent
In a 5-4 vote, the Centennial School District board approved Abram Lucabaugh as the system's new superintendent during a meeting Tuesday night. Lucabaugh was previously the superintendent at Central Bucks School District, where his tenure drew controversy over policies banning Pride flags and certain books. Lucabaugh said during a school board meeting last week that he would not advocate for those controversial policies in Centennial. Parents and taxpayers in the school district urged the board to reject Lucabaugh's appointment. A group of parents protested when Lucabaugh spoke during last week's meeting. "This process has not been fair or transparent in any way at any step of the journey," parent Nicole Lynch said at last week's meeting.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Parents continue to protest top superintendent candidate for Centennial School District in Pennsylvania
Parents and community members gathered outside Log College Middle School in Warminster, Pennsylvania, Thursday ahead of a community forum with the school board's top candidate for superintendent. The group was there to speak out against Abram Lucabaugh, who Centennial School District board is considering for the role of superintendent. "We are still hoping our school board will listen to our community that we do not want Dr. Abram Lucabaugh as our next superintendent," said Nancy Pontius, who organized the group, which is called Concerned Citizens of the Centennial School District. It comes after parents packed last Tuesday's school board meeting. "This process has not been fair or transparent in any way at any step of the journey," parent Nicole Lynch said. Lucabaugh is the former Central Bucks School District superintendent. He was given a $700,000 severance package when he resigned from that role in November 2023, days after the school board flipped from Republican to Democratic control. CBS News Philadelphia "Our board was incredibly divided politically. They were so dug in and so entrenched in their political beliefs that I found it almost impossible to effectively work in the role," Lucabaugh said. Central Bucks faced backlash and legal action for policies under his leadership, including banning pride flags and certain books. Lucabaugh vowed to meet with members of marginalized communities and said politics does not belong in the classroom. "The policies that were passed in Central Bucks by the board are not policies that I advocate for in Centennial, and I do not want them here," Lucabaugh said. While a final vote is set for May 27 and board members remain split, a sign welcoming Lucabaugh was already posted at the middle school. CBS News Philadelphia "I think it went very well, and everything that Dr. Lucabaugh needed to get out, he did," said Mary Alice Brancato, president of the Centennial Board of School Directors. "I think it should have been a lot more transparent. Dr. Lucabaugh having the questions beforehand, that's not an open forum," board member Patti Crossan said. "We are divided, we're divided 5-4 on many, many issues," board member Jane Lynch said. Lucabaugh declined our request for an interview before or after the forum.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Parents voice concerns about Pennsylvania school district's potential superintendent hire
Parents and members of the Concerned Citizens of the Centennial School District packed the school board's work session Tuesday night, eager to make their concerns heard about the potential hiring of former Central Bucks Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh. "Dr. Lucabaugh has a track record of adopting and enforcing policies at Central Bucks that were very exclusive," one parent said. "One of the things I'm thinking about is why would you want to bring this distraction or someone with this amount of baggage into the school district," another parent said. At the start of the meeting, Centennial School District Board President Mary Alice Brancato addressed the room, which led to a back-and-forth among board members and parents, with some clearly at odds. "I have been the subject of some very unsettling rumors. … I have not forced anyone to select Dr. Lucabaugh for the next superintendent," Brancato said. Lucabaugh resigned from Central Bucks in 2023. He received more than $700,000 in a severance agreement. Central Bucks has faced backlash for a number of policies under his leadership, including rules that barred pride flags and banned certain books and directives to not use students' preferred names and pronouns. The board says there have been two rounds of interviews with dozens of candidates considered, but parents are calling out a lack of transparency in the hiring process, along with the potential financial and legal risks. A town hall is set for May 22 with a final vote scheduled for May 27.
