ROCHESTER – Despite lengthy discussions, schools in this community won't add Eid al-Fitr or other religious holidays to the district calendar next year.
The Rochester Public Schools Board on Tuesday finalized the district's 2023-2024 calendar, which didn't include Eid. School officials debated adding the Muslim holiday to account for the sizable Muslim student population in Rochester, but ultimately decided to table the issue to provide more in-class time.
"It's a conversation that's going to continue," board chair Jean Marvin said.
Superintendent Kent Pekel said Rochester is reviewing the best ways to use school time to support students as part of its ongoing strategic planning process. The 2023-2024 calendar starts and ends school a week earlier than normal as classes begin Aug. 29 for middle and high schoolers.
District officials are also discussing whether to add more religious holidays in addition to Eid to the calendar. The issue will likely come up as the board sets the 2024-2025 calendar next year.
Holidays like Eid, which is scheduled according to the lunar calendar, can make classroom planning difficult. Students who celebrate religious holidays can be excused from class, but Pekel said the district needs to weigh how added holidays impact student learning.
"Even if you're taking the day off, if it's not on the celebration, are we fully recognizing that?" Pekel said.
Rochester's decision comes as other districts across the state add Eid and Jewish holidays to school calendars. The St. Paul Public Schools Board on Tuesday added Eid, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to the 2023-2024 calendar. Four other districts — Minneapolis, Mankato, Hopkins and Moorhead — have already included Eid in their calendars.
