St. Paul Public Schools is joining a growing list of districts adding Eid al-Fitr and the Jewish high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as holidays on the school calendar.
The changes will come in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, and reflect a desire to be more inclusive with holiday observances, Superintendent Joe Gothard said.
The school board approved the proposal Tuesday night.
Students will not have class on any of the dates; Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur will be designated as professional development days for staff.
Eid al-Fitr is the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, and it has been added to school district calendars in Minneapolis, Hopkins, Moorhead and Mankato, as well as charter schools serving large numbers of Muslim students.
"We appreciate this move toward religious inclusion in St. Paul schools," said Ethan Roberts, deputy executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. "Removing the difficult choice between academic and religious participation says to Jewish and Muslim families and educators that they are seen and valued members of the community."
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota, said a move ensuring students and staff could observe Eid al-Fitr across the state's second-largest district was the "right approach" to recognizing holidays of diverse student populations.
St. Paul set out to engage more people when crafting the calendar proposal and ultimately consulted with four bargaining groups and seven parent advisory councils — the latter of which objected to plans to include any digital learning days.
