Summit Superintendent Updates School Schedule, Virtual Graduation

SUMMIT, NJ — On Friday morning, Summit Superintendent of Schools June Chang said that due to unused snow days, the school year will end on June 15. He also announced that graduation ceremonies will be virtual.

The governor recently approved an executive order saying that such ceremonies can only be held with social distancing guidelines in place, like in cars.

Chang plans to leave the district soon to take the top spot in a school district on Long Island. Robert Gardella, director of human resources, will become acting superintendent as of June 1

Chang wrote:

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Dear Summit Public Schools Community,
I hope everyone is doing well and having another great week of remote learning. As always, I want to thank the Summit students, staff, and families for their ongoing support and dedication to our remote learning experience. Believe it or not, the end of the school year is rapidly approaching. I wanted to share an update on what we have learned from local and state officials, as well as provide additional details on a few changes within the district.

As we have only used one of the six snow days throughout the school year, I want to let the Summit community know that our last day of school will be a half-day on June 15, 2020.

I want to thank our administration for working with our county officials in ensuring that we were compliant with the public health closing requirement for schools.

I am incredibly proud of all Summit students for working hard throughout the entire school year, especially during the unexpected transition into remote learning. We all want to celebrate their accomplishments and honor their resilience, but unfortunately, it will look a bit different this year.

We are expected to follow the Executive Orders from Governor Phil Murphy which include prohibiting gatherings of individuals for parties, celebrations, and other social events, as well as social distancing directives.

We also received additional guidance from the Department of Education stating, “Since the Executive Orders will remain in effect until further notice, only virtual graduation ceremonies can be planned at this time.”

We understand this is not what students want to hear, especially our seniors. Rest assured, our administrators have been actively planning socially responsible celebrations for our students. Please look out for those details from school principals, which will be shared very soon. We thank you for your understanding and patience while we navigate through these circumstances.

Finally, as you all know, the Board of Education recently announced that Robert Gardella, director of human resources, will become acting superintendent as of June 1, 2020. Mr. Gardella and I have been working together for several months and I can confidently tell you, the district is in good hands.

As we continue to collaborate to ensure a smooth transition, I want to let you know this will be my last letter to the district community. I assure you Mr. Gardella, our administrative team, and our board will continue to communicate with you and keep you informed.

I want to share my sincerest thanks and appreciation to all of you for your support and shared commitment to providing a well-rounded education for every student. It has been my pleasure and a true honor to serve the Summit community for the past six years. I will always hold Summit close to my heart, and I am proud to have been a part of this amazing community.

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