School time off may go secular

Most School Board members back the removal of days off for Yom Kippur and Good Friday in the 2006-07 school year.

By MELANIE AVE, Times Staff Writer
Published October 13, 2005

TAMPA - The Hillsborough School Board appeared to endorse a school calendar Wednesday that takes away student vacation days for religious holidays, despite concerns from one member that the action "waters down our values."

All but one of the six board members at a workshop said they support the proposed 2006-07 calendar, which substitutes three secular vacation days for three Christian and Jewish holidays.

The calendar changes were recommended after a Muslim group last year asked that a Muslim holiday be added. The only religious holiday still remaining in the proposed calendar is Christmas, which occurs during the district's winter break.

Board members will take public comment before voting on the changes at their Oct. 25 meeting. If approved, next year's calendar will eliminate vacation days coinciding with Yom Kippur, Good Friday and the Monday after Easter. The days will be replaced with time off on Presidents Day and two days between spring break and the last day of school, which will give students and teachers a four-day weekend.

The calendar would be similar to the one used in Pinellas County, which does not time vacation days with religious holidays.

A different calendar, which would give students a day off for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr instead of the Monday after Easter, also will be presented at the public hearing.

That is the one favored by board member Jennifer Faliero, who told her colleagues the more secular version "waters down our values" by suppressing religious expression.

Faliero said the board should not only give students the holidays off, it should also call them what they are instead of the generic "nonstudent days."

"It's being politically correct," she said. "It just doesn't make sense."

Her colleagues disagreed. They said the proposed calendar is more fair because it more clearly separates church and state and may thwart future requests from other religious groups.

"I don't know where we're going to draw the line," said board member Susan Valdes.

Hillsborough gives excused absences for religious observances and students don't lose credit toward perfect attendance awards or exam exemptions. Teachers are asked not to schedule tests or major activities on holidays.

"I think all of us around this table value diversity," said board member Doretha Edgecomb. "I don't think this calendar reduces the opportunity to teach tolerance."

Several Muslims in the audience said they fear the board's action could prompt some people to retaliate against followers of Islam. They worry Muslims will be blamed for taking away everyone's holidays.

"This is not what we asked for," said Ahmed Bedier, Florida director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "We were simply asking for equal representation."

Bedier said he plans to ask religious leaders of all faiths to help him persuade school officials to keep the holidays in place.

"All we were asking for is one day, one single day, in the whole school year," said parent Joan Zaki, a Muslim who has three of her four children in public school.

Muslims in other school districts are making similar requests for a holiday, or at least that their children not be penalized for missing school for religious reasons. Some school districts in Michigan, which has a large Muslim population, have included Muslim holidays on their calendars.

Susan Freeman wrote an e-mail to board members urging them to give students Yom Kippur, Good Friday and one Muslim holy day. That would ensure that each of the three major religions get a day.

"Imagine what it would be like if kids had to take a day off from school to celebrate Christmas?" she asked.

Board chairwoman Candy Olson said the proposed calendar does not prohibit anyone from religious expression: "When I celebrate Good Friday, I do that in my church, in my home and with my family."

Still, she said, she would like to see more teaching about religious holidays and their meanings. Administrators agreed to survey schools to see what curricula and practices were in place.

Edgecomb said the board, regardless of its final decision on the calendar, will never be able to please everyone.

"But I think it's important for people to know that we aren't doing this arbitrarily," she said.