Centennial board schedules vote May 27 after heated public backlash over superintendent finalist

CENTENNIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, Pa. — The Centennial School District Board of School Directors announced that a finalist for superintendent will be voted on at the board's regular meeting on May 27, and scheduled two public events to let residents hear from the candidate: a meet-and-greet on May 15 and a town-hall on May 22, the board said at its May 13 meeting.

The announcement came as the meeting devolved into extended public comment dominated by residents and educators opposed to the finalist, Abram (Abe) Lukabaugh, who most speakers tied to his tenure as superintendent of Central Bucks School District. Dozens of people filled the boardroom and overflow rooms, and the board voted to combine agenda and non‑agenda public comment and to allow every community member who signed up to speak, retaining a three‑minute limit per speaker.

Why it matters: Many speakers said they feared that hiring Lukabaugh would bring divisive policy battles and legal costs to Centennial similar to controversies at Central Bucks, and they asked the board to reconsider. Board members defended the search process and said the Bucks County Intermediate Unit coordinated the rounds of interviews.

Board expla…