LOWER MERION — With the recent announcement that Lower Merion School District Superintendent Steven Yanni is leaving to take a position in his home district, school board members are considering their next steps.
During a recent special board meeting, board members began discussing the next steps the district plans to take to replace Yanni.
Kerry Sautner, school board president, said the district will hire a search firm to help find a replacement.
“We will be engaging the school team at every level for their voice and their perspective in what they value and the leadership that they need, as well as community involvement,” Sautner said. “We haven’t figured out all of those things at this time, but we want to share with you that we are completely devoted to making sure that our initiatives move forward, that our kids are well taken care of, that our next leader is one that, again, is there for us for the long term to ensure that all of the work that is done in this district continues to grow.”
Yanni recently announced he is leaving Lower Merion to take a position as superintendent at the Central Bucks School District in Bucks County.
“Following much personal reflection, I have decided to transition from my role as Superintendent of the Lower Merion School District and take on the opportunity to serve the community where I live as Superintendent of the Central Bucks School District,” Yanni said in his statement that he would be leaving Lower Merion.
Yanni was named superintendent in Lower Merion in June and began his role in the district in August.
Board member Todd Ridky said over the past five years, the district has had five superintendents and acting superintendents.
“We anticipate this taking some time,” Ridky said. “We owe it to the community [and] the students to find the right person for this, and it’s far more important we find the right person than we do this fast. There’s a direct correlation between the longevity tenure of a superintendent and the academic performance and the success of a district.”
Board member Shayna Kalish said they want feedback from the public on what qualities the next superintendent should have.
“What I would find really, really helpful is for folks to really think about what they would like to see from leadership, what those qualities in both the way that somebody works as a leader and the way that somebody is as a person, because when we solicit that feedback from our community, from our staff families that’s going to be really key in helping the board as we go forward as we conduct our search,” Kalsh said.
