If you're a Millburn parent who's already thinking about the school year ahead, here's something worth knowing: the Board of Education has quietly scheduled its fourth meeting of the summer, a special retreat set for Monday, July 27.

For most families, summer means the board goes quiet for a while — a breather before the fall rush of back-to-school nights and PTO emails. Not this year. Between a regular meeting, two special sessions, and a public hearing on the superintendent, the board has been unusually active these past few weeks, and this retreat adds one more conversation to that stretch. No agenda has been published yet, so we don't know exactly what's being discussed — but when a board meets this often in the off-season, it's usually because there's real work happening behind the scenes that will shape decisions affecting your child's classroom.

Here's the good part: because this retreat is legally classified as a special meeting, it's open to the public, just like any other board session. You don't need an invitation or a formal role — just show up, or at least keep an eye on what's discussed. Check millburn.org for the time, location, and agenda as those details are released.

If this week doesn't work for you, there's another chance coming: the board's next regular meeting is Monday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Education Center, 434 Millburn Ave. — and it comes with two separate windows for public comment, meaning your voice as a parent has a real place at the table.