Abrupt resignations from Central Bucks school board leave more questions than answers

Two of the three remaining Republicans on the Central Bucks School Board said Tuesday night they’re resigning.

Two days later, though, it remains unclear if Lisa Sciscio and Debra Cannon, who were elected in 2021, are leaving the board.

No resignation letters have been submitted and neither member — each with two years left in their terms — has responded to requests for comment.

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Why did Central Bucks board members resign?

During board comment at Tuesday’s meeting, Sciscio read from prepared remarks, which she later indicated were part of a resignation speech.

She claimed not all school board members were being given information in executive sessions regarding potential litigation involving former Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh, who resigned after voters elected a new Democratic-majority school board in November.

Sciscio was the only school board member who abstained in a Jan. 13 board vote to have the district’s solicitor David Conn take action on Lucabaugh’s separation agreement, which cost the district more than $700,000 and was approved by the outgoing GOP-majority board in a lame-duck session.

Sciscio claimed Conn accused her of “colluding” with an attorney representing Lucabaugh when she requested the solicitor provide her information about the separation agreement. The information was discussed in an executive session that Sciscio did not attend.

“I find it quite disturbing that you refuse to prepare a simple confidential memorandum to keep every single person on this board in the know with what you’ve been doing and what recommendations you have made in this manner,” Sciscio said.

Sciscio later confirmed she did receive some, but not all, of what she had requested.

On Thursday, board President Karen Smith said that a board majority has to approve directing legal counsel to write a summary of an executive session because it results in additional expenses.

“Our legal counsel has made himself available to all board members who have questions if they miss an executive session. They are welcome to call him for an update or call the superintendent or myself,” Smith said.

Sciscio’s comments also suggested board Democrats hired Conn because he represented three of them in a recount challenge after the election and accused the majority of avoiding compromise with Republicans, listening to their viewpoints and refusing to put their items on the board agenda.

She said Democrats were “settling personal political scores.”

Several times Tuesday night other board members interrupted Sciscio to ask if the board was allowed to publicly discuss the matter before the board voted to adjourn the meeting and go into executive session.

What happened after the board adjourned the meeting?

Sciscio and Cannon refused to attend the executive session and the former continued with her prepared statement.

She accused the board of trying to force minority-party members to quit and warned they were “treading into waters” where individual members “are personally liable and will be sued for those actions.”

When it was suggested that she resign, Scisco shot back: “That’s the plan Karen. You won. I cannot allow my family to be put at risk financially or legally for actions this board has taken.”

After Sciscio finished, Cannon also announced that she was resigning, effective immediately.

“They don’t want to hear what we have to say,” Cannon added. “This is beyond unethical. It’s unlawful. I feel to stand by and idly watch and still move ahead with the ‘group think’ …. I will not do that.”

Have Lisa Scisco and Debra Cannon submitted resignations?

Acting Superintendent Jim Scanlon said as of Thursday morning he had not received written resignations from either Sciscio or Cannon.

Neither Sciscio nor Cannon responded to emailed questions to their district accounts on Wednesday night and board President Karen Smith declined comment Thursday.

The state law is somewhat vague on board member resignations.

The Pennsylvania School Code of 1949 directs officials on what to do in the event of a vacancy, but it doesn’t make any definitive statements about what counts as an official resignation.

While it's not uncommon for resigning board members to submit a written resignation, such as when two board members left office in Bensalem Township School District late last year, there doesn't appear to be anything written into the law that requires a written resignation.

According to the School Code, a board seat can be vacated due to “death, resignation, removal from the district,” or any other reason and the remaining board members have 30 days to appoint a Central Bucks resident eligible to hold office to fill the vacancies.

School boards and other governing bodies like borough councils often officially vote to accept a member's resignation before opening the floor to applicants.

The next scheduled school board meeting is March 12.

If the board is unable to appoint new members within the 30-day period a Bucks County Court of Common Pleas judge can appoint new members if at least 10 resident taxpayers petition the court to step in.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Two CBSD board members say they have resigned. What happens now?