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. 

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• Pennsylvania
• Bucks County