We are working parents and residents of Millburn asking the School District to allow a transition period through the end of the 2025–2026 school year while a safe and compliant transportation solution is finalized for Springfield Genius Academy (SGA) students.

On February 13 later afternoon, families were notified that SGA pickup from school property would be suspended effective February 18. The intervening days included a weekend, a federal holidays, and a district closure day, leaving no business days for families to seek clarification or arrange alternatives. This sudden mid-school-year change left many families without workable childcare arrangements and created immediate disruption to students’ daily dismissal routines.

While we fully support student safety requirements and understand the District’s responsibility to verify transportation compliance, we ask the District to implement them in a reasonable and orderly manner that protects both safety and student stability.

Our goal is simple:

Maintain safety oversight while preventing avoidable hardship for students and working families.

1. Abrupt mid-school-year implementation

Families were notified only days before implementation, with no business days available to seek clarification or arrange alternatives. The timing occurred immediately before the Lunar New Year, a major cultural holiday for many SGA families, leaving parents without reasonable opportunity to prepare childcare arrangements during an important family period.

Many families had already made childcare, work, and financial commitments based on a transportation arrangement that had operated throughout the school year. Because the service continued to operate without prior warning of possible suspension, families reasonably understood there was no immediate safety emergency requiring sudden termination.

A mid-school-year change therefore creates substantial hardship for working families and disrupts student dismissal stability.

2. Procedural fairness and transparency

While the District appears to have been reviewing transportation requirements prior to the decision, families received no advance notice that service termination was imminent.

For decisions that significantly affect daily student dismissal and family logistics, advance communication and a transition framework are critical for community trust and orderly implementation.

3. Community and educational impact

Since 2016, SGA has functioned not only as childcare but also as an educational enrichment resource serving many district students. For many families—particularly dual-working households—this arrangement is an essential part of daily life, allowing parents to meet work obligations while ensuring children remain in a consistent and supervised learning environment after school. 

In today’s environment, where families balance demanding work schedules, limited flexibility, and childcare constraints, sudden disruption to established dismissal routines creates significant practical hardship for students and parents alike.

This request therefore seeks to preserve two shared priorities: student safety and student stability. We believe both can be maintained through a structured transition plan.

4. Requested resolution

We respectfully request the District:

1. Temporarily pause enforcement of the suspension while a compliant solution is finalized
2. Provide a defined transition period through the end of the 2025–2026 school year
3. Allow SGA to operate under documented interim safety conditions
4. Work collaboratively with families and SGA toward full compliance
5. Establish a clear and transparent communication process so families understand the timeline, expectations, and progress toward resolution

This approach would maintain safety oversight while avoiding unnecessary disruption to students and families. 

We respectfully ask the Millburn Board of Education and District Administration to adopt a transition plan that protects students, families, and community trust.

Please sign this petition to support a reasonable timeline, transparent communication, and a collaborative path to full compliance.

Sincerely,
Danli Tang on behalf of impacted working families in Millburn