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We commend the school districts for forming a joint Subcommittee for calendar review, bringing together representatives from the Sudbury School Committee, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Committee, and Lincoln School Committee. This thoughtful initiative represents a significant and necessary stride toward acknowledging our towns’ evolving diversity and ensuring all students, staff and families feel truly seen, respected, and included within our educational community.
As our communities continue to grow in their cultural and religious tapestry, it’s fitting that our institutions adapt to reflect this richness. The considerate inclusion of holidays such as Diwali and Eid on the school calendar would be a profoundly meaningful step toward a more equitable and representative framework – one that genuinely mirrors the lived experiences of the families it serves.
These holidays carry deep significance for many in our community. Recognizing them as school closures would be an overdue affirmation of belonging, sending a powerful message that every identity matters. Calendar decisions may seem procedural, but they signal who is valued. For many families, having their important religious holidays acknowledged affirms that they are part of the community in more than just name.
We are encouraged by the formation of this Subcommittee and hopeful about its impact. But we are also concerned about models that risk undermining inclusion. For example, Brookline’s approach of categorizing religious holidays into “Category 1” and “Category 2” effectively ranks residents. Similarly, Wellesley’s rotating model risks sending the message that some communities only count in certain years. These frameworks make inclusion conditional. Rather than fostering unity, they introduce division.
We urge the Subcommittee to look closely at successful models in neighboring districts. Acton-Boxborough, Ashland, Hopkinton, Lexington and Natick have all made thoughtful strides toward building inclusive calendars. These districts have taken significant steps to acknowledge and respect the diversity within their school communities, and they offer valuable models for what thoughtful, inclusive planning can achieve.
Among these, Acton-Boxborough stands out for its comprehensive approach. Their district calendar includes school closures on all major religious holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Good Friday, Diwali, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Remarkably, they manage to do this while still beginning the school year before Labor Day and ending their 180th day of instruction before the Juneteenth federal holiday. Their experience shows that building an inclusive calendar is both possible and practical.
You might wonder: How can a school district accommodate additional holidays without substantially extending the school year? The answer lies in the nature of many religious holidays, which are based on lunar calendars and vary from year to year. These holidays can fall on weekends, during school breaks, or federal holidays, naturally reducing their impact. To illustrate this, we’ve shared a 10-year projection of Diwali and Eid dates with the school committees, demonstrating that including these holidays would have minimal disruption on the academic calendar.
Creating a more inclusive calendar does not mean opening the door to unlimited closures. Rather, it involves recognizing the most widely observed holidays in our community and making accommodations that support students and staff. In doing so, we support learning for all while upholding our shared values of respect and inclusion.
No student should have to choose between honoring their faith and attending school. No parent should have to explain a child’s absence on a sacred day. A calendar that reflects our town’s diversity sends a clear message: every family belongs.
Such a change would also align with our town’s equity and inclusion policy, which commits to affirming and supporting all members of our community. A school calendar that mirrors our values is not just symbolic – it’s a tangible way to practice inclusion.
We believe that, together, we can make this happen. We have the benefit of learning from the successes of neighboring communities and the support of residents who value diversity and equity. Together, we can build a school calendar that honors all families and sets a powerful example for what inclusion looks like in practice.
We thank the district for taking this important step, and we urge the Subcommittee to be compassionate, forward-thinking and committed to equity. Let’s work together to make our district not just more diverse, but truly inclusive.