SMARTplainfield

SMARTplainfield We are a 501(c)(3) building nonpartisan support for public education and civic engagement. Welcome to SMARTplainfield! Join us! It doesn't matter where you live.

We are a 501(c)(3) of neighbors and parents, retirees and business people on a mission to build nonpartisan support for improvements in public education and in civic engagement. As residents in a growing city of 55,000, we see demographic challenges for education and civic engagement. The percentage of foreign-born residents has climbed to 36%. The school district is now about 75% Latino and 22% B

lack. A significant number of young people have only recently arrived from poor or high-conflict areas and speak little or no English. Here at SMARTplainfield, we aim to help the school district provide the resources students need to graduate and to help citizens participate in civic activities. We volunteer to read to students in the elementary schools, collect and buy books and supplies to give to students and families, join district councils and committees as stakeholders in student outcomes, and post board meeting access and district success stories on social media. To build civic engagement, we post information about school board and city council candidates and about when, where, and how to vote. Local volunteers give away books to students. Far-flung folks provide tech and other support. And anyone can simply follow us here on Facebook. In just two years, we've grown from two to over a hundred members!

We invite you to sign up for one 2-hour slot or more. It's very fun!
06/20/2026

We invite you to sign up for one 2-hour slot or more. It's very fun!

Big day today! It's been a long time coming but at last has arrived. And it's a wonderful testament to the value Plainfi...
06/13/2026

Big day today! It's been a long time coming but at last has arrived. And it's a wonderful testament to the value Plainfielders place on literacy. It really is heartening to think that within the past few years, our city has supported the opening of a dynamic bookstore, placement of Little Free Libraries, and programs that give books to children visiting a doctor and attending public schools. And now this! The community has breathed new life into the public library. 👏👏👏

What a pleasure to see old friends and to meet so many supporters of local causes. I was impressed with the club's bread...
06/12/2026

What a pleasure to see old friends and to meet so many supporters of local causes. I was impressed with the club's breadth and depth of commitment to donating time and treasure to neighbor organizations. Thank you, Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary Club-Scotch Plains Rotary Club, for your heartfelt welcome and recognition of LunchBoox as a worthy effort.

We were happy to welcome Katherine Balch as our speaker on Wednesday, June 10 at the Stagehouse. Katherine founded and continues to lead Smart Plainfield, an organization that began as a small effort during Covid and has grown steadily over the past five years. Through book donations, grants, and other generous support, Smart Plainfield helps put books directly into the hands of children in Plainfield schools. Katherine shared how much the children treasure receiving books of their own and the joy they feel in being able to keep them. We are grateful to Katherine for joining us and for sharing the inspiring impact of this wonderful work. For more information, please visit the SMARTplainfield page. Katherine is shown below receiving a donation from club president Julie Murphy.

*** LunchBoox NEWS *** The books (thousands) have moved -- every single one -- from a resident's garage into Everg...
05/21/2026

*** LunchBoox NEWS *** The books (thousands) have moved -- every single one -- from a resident's garage into Evergreen Elementary School! Yes!! It's true. Thanks to Board President Hanae Wyatt and Principal Marianne Tankard, our popular book-giveaway program now has climate-controlled storage space. This is just one of several ways the district demonstrates how highly it values literacy for young people.

Pictured below are the Evergreen staff who welcomed the more than 30 bins of books and the comings and goings of volunteers with such enthusiasm and hard work: Dr. Tankard appears with Security Officer Nunez, and heavy lifters JT Thomas stands with Bobby Fowler. THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH, board commissioners, for sponsoring LunchBoox, and thank you to the Evergreen staff for providing a home for the books we distribute to students.

Plainfield Public Schools Board of Education meets this Tuesday. Lots on the agenda, which you can access here:https://g...
05/17/2026

Plainfield Public Schools Board of Education meets this Tuesday. Lots on the agenda, which you can access here:
https://go.boarddocs.com/nj/plainfield/Board.nsf/Public

To attend in person, go to:
Booker School, Cafeteria:
730 Central Street
Plainfield, NJ 07062

To view and comment virtually, connect via Zoom:
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83380244564
Meeting ID: 833 8024 4564
Passcode: 111333

To live-stream (with no ability to comment virtually), go to:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/ruOCNKD8BSs?feature=share

For Plainfield Public Schools teachers -- treasures to our community:
05/11/2026

For Plainfield Public Schools teachers -- treasures to our community:

Despite the fact that the government has never completely delivered on its promise of funding for special needs kids in ...
05/03/2026

Despite the fact that the government has never completely delivered on its promise of funding for special needs kids in public schools, Plainfield Public Schools has managed this happy outcome for all students.

PLAINFIELD, NJ — On Monday, the Plainfield Public Schools opened its fourth outdoor inclusive Plainfield at the Plainfield Early Learning Center, formerly the Black United Fund, on Grant...

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Plainfield, NJ
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