South Orange-Maplewood Supt. of Schools Jason Bing is making good on a promise to improve communications, hosting a series of “community conversations” — and announcing an overhaul of the district website that will debut in 2025.
In an interview during his first month on the job in July, Bing told The Village Green: “First stop for any parent or community member is the website. So if you go to that website and, and you’re finding it challenging or getting obstacles, then the next place you’re going to go to is a board meeting or reach out to a board member. I think we need to work on improving our website and putting more information on there.”
The website has been a top priority for new Director of Communications Eshaya Draper, who started work with the district in August.
Per a press release from the district (see the full release below), “We’re preparing for a fast-loading, interactive platform to revolutionize how you stay connected and receive information from our schools.”
Meanwhile, Bing will also be hosting the second of four Community Conversations on December 12 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the DeHart Community Center in Maplewood:
From SOMSD:
We’re thrilled to announce a game-changing transformation in how we communicate with and serve our SOMSD community! After listening closely to your feedback, we are taking steps to make accessing district information faster, easier, and more intuitive than ever before.
We have been completely overhauling our district website and will release a reimagined experience in 2025. We’re preparing for a fast-loading, interactive platform to revolutionize how you stay connected and receive information from our schools. This centralized hub will unite all key resources in one place, offering instant access to:
- Dynamic school announcements and updates translated into multiple languages
- Noteworthy athletic news, sports scores, athletics rosters, and team schedules
- Unified social media feeds that actively reflect achievements occurring in the district
- Easy-to-find parent information for returning visitors and new residents alike
- The best features of the current SOMSD website – but enhanced
Designed with families in mind, the new mobile-friendly interface will allow your family to have the information you need at your fingertips, whenever and wherever you need it.
This is also just the beginning. We’re embarking on a district-wide communications evolution with a comprehensive plan to deepen our connections with families, local media, and community partners. Every guardian and caretaker will have access to timely, relevant updates about their child’s education and district-wide initiatives.
This exciting leap forward wouldn’t be possible without your partnership. We can’t wait to unveil these improvements after the New Year and will continue working hand-in-hand to innovate many parts of our district to make our district the model for education in New Jersey.
Thank you for being part of this journey. The future for SOMSD is bright, and we’re committed to making our digital experience better for every student, family, and resident in the community.
