More US school districts acknowledging Ramadan and Eid

Schools across the US have voted to include Eid al-Fitr as an off day during the 2023-24 calendar

The Muslim month of fasting – Ramadan began on Thursday, March 23 in the US. With about three and a half million Muslims in the US, several local schools and libraries across cities and counties in the country are marking the month associated with fasting, reflection, charity and piety.

Muslims across the country are welcoming the efforts made by local authorities, school boards and libraries for this gesture. Muslims across the country say that they are touched by the gesture as it gives a chance to communities to recognize each-others’ faiths and customs.

Read: South Asian American lawmaker Sadaf Jaffer reflects on Eid at White House (May 7, 2022)

Also, with a growing number of Muslims it is important that holidays are well-celebrated and marked across the country. Back in 2015, when New York City announced that it would close its public schools for two major Muslim festivals, it became the first big city school district in the US to announce the holiday.

Some schools in New Jersey and Vermont among others had already been closing for Eid before New York. Many schools across the country also voted sometime back to include Eid al-Fitr as an off-day in the school calendar.

The move gives Muslim kids a chance to celebrate their festival without missing a school day. Last year, in December, Fairfield Board of Education in Connecticut, voted to include Eid-al-Fitr as a holiday in the 2023-24 calendar.

The Philadelphia school district has also recognized Eid al-Adha as a public school holiday.This will take effect once the holiday falls within the 2024/2025 school year. As many as 15 other state school districts have joined Philadelphia in recognizing Eid al-Fitr as a holiday on the school calendar.

Read: Indian American Muslims join White House Eid Celebration (May 4, 2022)

The districts are: Coatesville Area School District, Council Rock School District, Derry Township School District, Downingtown Area School District, Great Valley School District, North Penn School District, Owen J. Roberts School District, Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, Perkiomen Valley School District, Radnor School District, Spring-Ford Area School District, Tredyffrin/Easttown School District, Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, Upper Darby School District, and West Chester Area School District.

Similarly, in New Jersey, the Watchung Borough Board of Education meeting held in January this year, reached the decision that the school will close for the holiday of Eid-al-Fitr during the 2023-24 session.

In Ohio, the Hilliard City Schools Board of Education also voted to add Eid al-Fitr as a holiday in the 2023-24 school year calendar. The school board in Mehville, Missouri also decided to announce the Muslim festival as a holiday in the 2023-24 calendar.

Read: An increasing number of U.S. school districts now observe Ramadan (March 23, 2023)

The Miami Dade School Board in Florida has marked the day as teacher planning day with no student attendance in their 2023-24 calendar. The Palm Beach County School Board has marked the days as school off in their calendar for 2023-24 and 2025.The San Francisco Board of Education has agreed to move the Spring Break in 2023-24 calendar to include the Muslim holiday.

The inclusion of Muslim holiday as the school off day not only gives Muslim students a chance to celebrate their faith without missing out on assignments, tests or study days, but it also creates a positive atmosphere of inclusivity. According to Muslims it also gives a chance to many to know and understand the Muslim festival and the spirit of brotherhood and love it stands for.