Students petition to add Diwali to district calendar; board supportive as superintendent outlines draft calendar and device-survey results

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. — Two Guilderland High School student representatives and a student member of the Hindu community asked the school board on Jan. 14 to add the Hindu festival Diwali to the district academic calendar; the board signaled general support while administrators said formal calendar decisions will follow the district review process.

Student representatives Evan Panus and Parth (Parth/Parth) Sarecha told the board the third quarter ends next Friday and reminded students about upcoming half days and a Jan. 31 spirit rally. During public comment high-school students Shruti Gomenga and a second student presented a petition they said was signed by "almost 230 GHS students" asking the board to recognize Diwali as an academic holiday so Hindu students and staff may observe the day without sacrificing instructional time.

The students described Diwali as a major religious holiday involving weeks of preparation and rituals, and said local observance is growing: the Empire State Plaza hosted its first Diwali celebration in 2024. The students said they had discussed the request with the district DEI officer and presented a petition to the board.

Superintendent Marie (name given in meeting as the superintendent) showed the board a draft academic calendar for 2025–26 that currently lists Diwali on Oct. 20, 2025; the draft also lists 184 total instructional days and a projected June 26, 2026, graduation date. Marie cautioned that the calendar remains a draft and will be reviewed by the district leadership team and other stakeholders; she also warned that not every school year will permit adding holidays without consequences, because later Labor Days and other scheduling pressures may reduce flexibility in future years.

Board members voiced general support for exploring the calendar change. Board member Katie said she supported exploring addition; other board members expressed agreement. Administrators noted athletic schedules are set within a regional athletics conference and that contests or practices sometimes fall on holidays observed by some districts but not others; officials said they will try to be sensitive to student needs when setting practice schedules but cannot guarantee all competitions will be moved.

During the superintendent’s report the district also shared results from a recent “distraction-free learning” outreach: - Staff: 111 staff members completed a thought exchange and were largely supportive of establishing distraction-free zones and following neighboring districts’ practices. - Families: Responses were mixed; families asked for open conversation and asked about enforcement and effects on bullying. - Students (grades 6–12): Participation at the high school was about 38 percent. When asked if cell phones are a distraction at school: 34 percent said no, 28 percent neutral, and 38 percent yes. When asked whether social-media or devices negatively affected academic performance, 59 percent of respondents said no, 24 percent were neutral and 17 percent said yes. Students cited both benefits (social connection, emergency communication) and harms (distraction, privacy, cyberbullying).

Superintendent Marie said she would prepare a written report compiling the thought-exchange results for board review. The board indicated willingness to continue the calendar conversation at future meetings and to consider the student petition as part of the formal calendar-setting process.