Central Bucks School Board will hold open interview process to replace two board members

The Central Bucks School District will conduct open interviews next month of candidates seeking to fill two open school board seats following the recent resignations of two Republican members.

The board has scheduled a special meeting for March 18 where the board will interview candidates and choose the new members, Board President Karen Smith said.

The board will interview candidates individually using the same set of questions provided beforehand. The public can attend the meeting for the interviews and the board vote.

More Bucks County news Spring real estate market off to an early start in Bucks County

The letters of intent and resumes of proposed candidates will also be publicly posted as part of the meeting agenda, Smith said.

As of Feb 28, only one application has been received, Acting Superintendent James Scanlon said. The district website has the application and the deadline is 5 p.m. March 8.

Central Bucks residents want political diversity on board

The announcement appears to suggest the Democratic-majority board listened to recent calls for transparency with the selection process for replacing Lisa Sciscio and Debra Cannon.

At a Feb. 23 special meeting where the board accepted the two resignations, residents urged the board to consider the politically diverse communities that make up the district.

“We need to have a board that also can authentically represent the diversity of views and thoughts that makes our community what it is,” Buckingham resident Jennifer Bish said.

Bish and others urged the process be transparent, fair and give all applicants consideration regardless of their voter registration.

They pointed to the overwhelming number of Republicans and Independents who ignored party affiliations in November and voted for the current Democratic-majority board as a clear sign that the community wants cooperation and compromise.

“If we are always having 8-1 votes consistently, it means neither side is really listening and it means we are allowing politics to drive instead of the good of our students,” Bish said.

Other residents also urged the board to consider applicants who can disagree with the majority, but do it thoughtfully, considerately and allow for healthy respectful discourse many felt was lacking with the previous GOP-controlled board.

Plumstead resident Andrea Hanna said that the board majority has an opportunity to role model that diversity of thought is important and valued.

“It is tempting to select new members from political parties and social services but it would be a disservice to the community that is trying to heal from the past bitter partisanship,” Hanna said.

Another Plumstead resident, Erin Rizk, pointed out the previous board leadership behaved in a way that benefited their friends, beliefs and interests.

The November election sent a clear message, Rizk said, that the community was done with the “drama, refusal to collaborate or compromise and unethical backroom decision-making,” she said.

“This is an opportunity to welcome leadership who is here to collaborate, listen, adapt and make decisions that are in the best interest of our students,” Rizk added. “So that we can continue the work to erase the stains of distrust and controversy that have darkened our amazing school district.”

Board leadership says it will review potential candidates that will move district, students forward

Board Vice-President Miram Mahmud told the audience that the goal of the new board leadership is to move the district forward in a positive way and lead with integrity.

“Our goal is and always will be to focus on the kids,” Mahmud said.

More Central Bucks news Nex Benedict vigil to be held in Bucks County, calling for schools to protect trans kids

In an email response to questions, Smith echoed the sentiment, saying that doing the right thing for the district students is the lens that she will use to review applicants.

“I always listen to all viewpoints. I don’t always agree with them but I listen,” Smith said.

Sciscio and Cannon, who represented Regions 4 and 7 respectively, abruptly announced their resignations following the Feb. 13 board meeting.

Ex-CBSD member connection to ILC Former Central Bucks board VP cites "extensive" work with religious groups online

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

Along with board member James Pepper, they made up the three Republicans on the current nine-member board.

The three members were elected to four year terms in 2021 as part of a slate of conservative candidates running against pandemic restrictions and found support from the parental rights movement and groups like Moms for Liberty.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Central Bucks board to fill 2 vacancies through open public process