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July 11, 2024

Dear Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks School District Community,

As we reach the unofficial midpoint of summer, I am excited to write to you for the first time as your new superintendent. My appointment was made official earlier this month at the Bucks County courthouse, where I had the honor of being sworn in by Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley. Having called the county home for eight years, the moment was incredibly special and a little surreal.

I join Â鶹´«Ã½ by way of Lower Merion, Upper Dublin and New Hope-Solebury school districts, where I served as superintendent for a combined nine years. During my more than two decades in education, in both teaching and leadership roles, I have been committed to creating and cultivating inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive. Working alongside colleagues, I have prioritized collaboration among parents, guardians, educators, and community members to ensure high-quality learning and growing experiences inside and outside the classroom, always keeping students at the center. I am excited to bring this commitment to community engagement and my enthusiasm for education to Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks.

A Bright Future

As a proud member of the Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks community, having the opportunity to lead the school district in my community is both an honor and a privilege. I share the same vested interest as you in ensuring that Â鶹´«Ã½ is successful so that our students and community are successful!

Whether up close or from a distance, Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks remains one of the largest school systems in Pennsylvania, with more than 3,000 teachers and staff educating more than 17,000 students in 13 grades across 23 schools. Our district covers 120 square miles and welcomes children and young adults from three boroughs and six townships. We are the primary provider of elementary and secondary education for a population of more than 101,000.

In such a large and diverse community, differing points of view are not only inevitable but encouraged. As a district, in line with our mission and values, we invite and respect these divergent opinions and viewpoints. This capacity for robust dialogue and discourse is essential for us to realize another intrinsic quality of our vast community: its limitless potential.

I believe in my core that I am a unifier. The journey of Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks – the challenges faced and those ahead – offers us a chance to come together stronger than ever. With a unified focus, we can reach incredible heights for the benefit of thousands of students and their families. We can work to ensure every student is successful and feels a sense of belonging. We can chart a bright future as a cohesive school district with educational excellence as our collective north star.

Initial Focus Areas

Success starts with building relationships and continues by actively sustaining them. I am eager to be present in our schools, engaging with teachers, students, and staff to learn about their needs and aspirations. I’m equally committed to engaging with parents, guardians, and community members. Building trust and a positive culture relies on collaboration and communication. I plan to communicate regularly, both internally and externally, about our school system’s work, our exceptional students and programs, and more.

Looking ahead to this school year, we will engage in community conversations on important and consequential topics, including a district-wide grade realignment currently set to take effect in the 2026-27 school year and the planning and launch of a full-day kindergarten pilot program in the 2025-26 school year, which will be followed by a district-wide program planned for launch in the 2026-27 school year.

I am also attuned to topical issues affecting education, such as social media and technology use during and outside the school day and the resulting impact on students; global affairs’ influence on the educational and our communal experience; and a general media and public spotlight on and scrutiny of public education that can heighten emotions and discord, among other matters. As a district, it is imperative we actively monitor and proactively respond with care and appropriateness to current and future issues impacting the education of our students.

Our effectiveness as a district rests on a foundation of student success and well-being. Among the above initiatives and others we will focus on this upcoming school year, the district will also undertake a comprehensive review of how students are faring academically, with the goal of identifying achievement and opportunity gaps and creating an action plan for continuous improvement. We will also review the district’s 2023-26 Comprehensive Plan to assess progress toward and completion of goals.

Effective communication is a priority, and I am committed to ensuring our community receives timely updates. In the coming weeks, I will also share information about future in-person community engagement opportunities and information sessions. Feedback and questions are always welcome at information@cbsd.org.

I look forward to working closely with each of you -- parents, guardians, students, teachers, staff, School Board members, and community members -- to cultivate a nurturing, inclusive and high-achieving environment in Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks School District.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Best regards,

Dr. Steven Yanni 
Superintendent 
Â鶹´«Ã½ Bucks School District

This message was also emailed to the Â鶹´«Ã½ community on July 11, 2024.