The Board of Education has withdrawn the second reading of proposed Policy 7523. Thank you to every Montville resident who signed, spoke up, and showed up.
In a little over a week, 446 Montville residents added their names to a petition asking the Board of Education to withdraw proposed Policy 7523 — a sweeping restriction that would have prohibited district signage from acknowledging holidays, civic observances, heritage and recognition months, and PTSA fundraising messages.
On April 28, the Board advanced the policy to a second reading on a 5–4 vote, despite no member of the public and no district administrator speaking in support. The community responded. Neighbors signed. Reporters listened. Residents prepared to speak at the May 12 meeting.
The Board has now withdrawn the second reading of Policy 7523. The vote will not move forward as scheduled.
You did the work that mattered. Every name on that petition — every neighbor who took two minutes to add their address, every parent who forwarded the link to a friend, every long-time resident who said "I'll sign" without hesitation — built the message the Board could not ignore. This was your win.
You set the tone. The MTHS alumna who spoke about her mother seeing "Happy Diwali." The student raised in two faith traditions. The fathers raising a family here. The new homebuyer. The retired administrator. The long-time residents who reminded the Board what civic messaging is for. You gave the petition its conscience.
Thank you for listening. Withdrawing the second reading was the right call, and we recognize the deliberation it took to get there. A board that hears its community and adjusts is a board doing its job well. We are grateful — and we look forward to working alongside the Board on future conversations about district communications.
This is a victory worth celebrating — and one we want to build on.
The Board has withdrawn the second reading. The policy could return at a future meeting, in this form or a revised one, and similar signage policies are being considered in school districts across the country. The broader conversation isn't going away.
If Policy 7523 returns in any form, we will be ready — in the audience, at the microphone, on the next petition.
We are building a list of residents willing to attend Board of Education meetings and speak during public comment if Policy 7523 is reintroduced. Three minutes at a microphone, alongside neighbors, is what makes the difference.
To join the list, email montvillerising@gmail.com with the subject line "Add me to the speakers list." We will only contact you if a relevant policy is on a future agenda.