Nutley residents praise ‘no‑homework’ nights for religious observances and urge coordination with town scheduling

Speakers during the public-comments portion of the Nutley Public School District Board of Education meeting praised the district’s adoption of no‑homework nights for religious observances and urged clearer communication and coordination with other municipal schedules.

“Setting aside one night without homework is a small but meaningful way to show respect and understanding,” Board President Mister Pena said in a personal statement read at the start of the public‑comment period. Peña specified that his remarks were offered personally, not on behalf of the full board.

Deb Valper of Wilmington Drive thanked the board for the no‑homework program and asked whether the district’s calendar will list the observance names alongside the no‑homework dates so the community can learn about and recognize each holiday. “It’s really important that we learn and acknowledge each other's holidays,” Valper said.

A resident who identified herself as Rhonda Frobos urged the board to coordinate no‑homework dates with the mayor’s office and municipal event planners. Frobos said a town-sponsored children’s event was scheduled on a Rosh Hashanah no‑homework night last fall and that the scheduling undermined the goal of inclusion by making it harder for families observing the holiday to participate. “When you have a no‑homework night, communicate it to [the mayor’s office] so that they purposely don't schedule anything,” she said.

Dan Priaport addressed the board to thank members for recognizing Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover in the upcoming calendar and said the scheduling remains consistent with the timing of Passover relative to Easter.

Board staff clarified that the no‑homework practice has been implemented as a procedure tied to the district calendar rather than as a formal, standalone board policy, and that parents’ feedback is part of the policy-setting process.

Why it matters: Parents and residents said the calendar change helps reduce student stress and supports inclusion for families who observe religious holidays. Commenters asked the board to (1) list holiday names with no‑homework dates for clarity, and (2) coordinate with municipal scheduling to avoid conflicts.

The board did not vote on a separate no‑homework policy at this meeting; staff said the calendar and related procedures are under board consideration and that the calendar will be corrected where date errors were identified.