As a father of four kids in Central Bucks schools, a longtime law enforcement officer, and a concerned neighbor, I’ve always believed that strong communities start with strong schools. Our district has long enjoyed a solid reputation, but that reputation alone is no longer enough.

With a budget of over $400 million, CBSD is one of the most well-funded districts in the region. That should mean strong, consistent academic outcomes for students across all of our schools. But the data tells a more troubling story – one of inconsistency, imbalance, and missed opportunities.

At the elementary level, Cold Spring, Kutz, and Linden have English Language Arts proficiency levels above 81 percent, surpassing the state’s 2033 goal under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). But other schools—Barclay at 64 percent and Groveland at 66.5 percent—lag significantly behind, barely outperforming the current state average of 53.9 percent. In math, Cold Spring and Gayman are nearing the future state goal of 71.8 percent, but others hover closer to 52 percent.

At CB West, literature proficiency is solid at 80.1 percent. But in Algebra, only 62.2 percent of students are proficient—far below the benchmark we should be striving for with our level of investment.

These numbers don’t reflect a lack of ability in our students or teachers. They reflect a lack of leadership, consistency, and accountability in how the district is being managed. If our district can achieve excellence at Cold Spring and CB West, then we should expect and demand the same level of excellence for every child in every building. Families shouldn’t have to rely on luck of location to get a great public education.

Beyond academic inconsistencies, our community faces a deeper challenge: eroded trust between families and district leadership. The past few years have seen decisions made behind closed doors, dismissive attitudes toward parental input, and partisan posturing that has left families feeling unheard. Teachers report feeling pulled in too many directions by conflicting priorities. Parents express frustration with unclear policies and inconsistent enforcement. Kids are caught in the middle of adult dysfunction.

This erosion of trust isn’t just unfortunate and it’s counterproductive to student success. Strong schools require strong partnerships between families, educators, and leadership. When that partnership breaks down, everyone suffers, but especially our children.

That’s why I’ve joined CARE for CBSD with other concerned community members: Community Advocates for Responsible Education. Our mission is straightforward and nonpartisan: bringing leadership, balance, and accountability to restore trust and academic excellence. This isn’t about politics. This is about performance!

We believe in fundamental principles that should unite rather than divide our community:

  • Academic excellence must match our investment of taxpayer dollars. With our resources, every school should be performing at the level of our top performers.
  • We need stability and trust at every level, from classroom to boardroom, built through transparent decision-making and genuine community engagement.
  • We must support our teachers with clear expectations, consistent leadership, and respect for their professional expertise. Our educators are assets, not obstacles. They deserve leadership that empowers them to focus on what they do best: teaching.
  • We need collaboration and communication with families not political agendas or top-down mandates that ignore local needs and values.
  • Fiscal responsibility demands that resources are directed where they matter most: student learning, not bureaucratic expansion.

Rebuilding trust requires more than good intentions; it demands integrity in action. A dependable school board serves with humility, transparency, and commitment to solutions. That means welcoming respectful dialogue at meetings, prioritizing decisions that reflect community needs and values, and treating parents as partners rather than adversaries.

Safety and peace of mind must be restored as well. Every parent deserves confidence that their child’s school is focused on learning, not managing chaos. This means clear disciplinary policies, consistent enforcement, and environments where students can learn free from disruption or intimidation.

We also need honest accountability about outcomes. When academic performance varies this dramatically across our district despite uniform funding, leadership must take responsibility and implement systematic solutions, not offer excuses.

While some advocate for importing divisive national rhetoric into our classrooms, we believe in local solutions for local schools and solutions based on performance, transparency, and respect for families and educators alike. We will reinforce academic rigor with clear expectations and measurable progress. We will ensure tax dollars align with student success rather than administrative bloat. We will protect parental involvement as a cornerstone of educational partnership.

Most importantly, we will bring the kind of leadership our community expects: focused on results, respectful in dialogue, and accountable to the families we serve.

CBSD has the people, talent, and resources to excel. What we need now is leadership willing to do the hard work of bringing them together and raising standards for everyone. This isn’t about promising perfection, but about promising to listen, lead responsibly, and put students first.

Our children deserve schools that live up to their potential, and a school board willing to deliver that promise. That’s the commitment CARE for CBSD represents, and it’s the kind of leadership our community deserves. I’m happy to continue my years in public service behind this amazing foundation of leadership for our students and our community alike.