All,
The Village Green just published an article (freely viewable to all) on our cause, with new feedback from Mayor Dafis and President Collum, linked here.
Encouragingly Mayor Dafis is quoted as saying: "We’re hopeful about January 2023 and our aligning with neighboring integrated school districts using a 1 mile radius for elementary and middle schoolers.”
However, he also noted that "Financial implications and travel routes of a 1, 1.5, or 1.75 radius are being looked at by the BOE and District Administration."
While it is great that the towns are coming together with the BOE to resolve this issue, a 1.5 or 1.75 mile radius would still leave far too many families without transportation. As noted in the petition, we also believe that families with distances under 1 mile should have the option of subscribing for busing, with fee waivers given in cases of economic need.
Please keep making your voices heard, especially as both towns are now coming together with the BOE to find a solution! Below is a template email framed with the latest developments in mind.
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To:
- BOE: boemembers@somsd.k12.nj.us
- Dr. Taylor: rtaylor@somsd.k12.nj.us
- Maplewood Mayor, Dean Dafis: ddafis@twp.maplewood.nj.us
- South Orange Village President, Sheena Collum: scollum@southorange.org
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Subject Line: SOMA Families Need a 1-Mile Radius
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Dear Village President Collum, Mayor Dafis, Dr. Taylor and BOE:
While I was encouraged to read in the Village Green that you are coming together to resolve the very important transportation issue, I remain worried that less-than-adequate solutions are still being explored, specifically "the financial implications and travel routes for a 1.5 and 1.75 mile radius" (as noted by Mayor Dafis).
A 1-mile walk is already a 20-30 minute walk. We cannot expect our young children to do any more than this, especially given SOMA's topography, traffic and inclement weather. SOMA families need a 1-mile radius.
As noted in the School Buses For SOMA Kids petition, I also believe that SOMA families living less than 1 mile away should have the ability to subscribe for busing if they need it, with fee waivers given in cases of economic need.
Thank you for your urgent attention to this very important matter.
Sincerely,
[______]