Students and Muslim community ask Albemarle school board to recognize Eid al-Fitr on the academic calendar

Dozens of students, teachers and community members urged the Albemarle County School Board on May 20 to add at least one Muslim holiday to the school calendar, beginning with Eid al-Fitr.

Supporters said recognizing Eid would prevent students from having to choose between religious observance and schoolwork, raise visibility for Muslim students, and match practices already adopted by other large districts.

Speakers, including student representatives and educators from Albemarle High School and representatives of the Islamic Society of Central Virginia, described Ramadan as a month of daytime fasting and night prayer that culminates in Eid al-Fitr. “No child should be forced to choose between faith and school success,” one student speaker said. The Islamic Society offered to provide dates in advance, noting Eid follows a lunar calendar but that communities such as the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) publish dates schools can plan around.

Presenters said local Muslim families include recent refugees and long-term residents, and that the district’s Muslim population has been growing. Several speakers said they surveyed local Muslim families and reported broad support for a calendar change. Speakers pointed to other Virginia districts that recognize Eid, including Henrico, as well as larger districts such as Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, and national examples such as New York City and Montgomery County, Maryland.

Board members did not take action during public comment. The request appeared during the public comment portion of the meeting and was followed by the board’s agenda business and later presentations. Petitioners asked the board to consider a formal process to review the calendar for the 2025–26 academic year.

The school board did not announce a timeline for responding to the request during the meeting. Community members asked the board to coordinate with local religious organizations to provide accurate holiday dates for planning.

The speakers represented students, school staff and religious organizations; none of the presentation material proposed a specific calendar mechanics (for example, whether recognition would be a full holiday or an excused absence policy), and no vote or directive was recorded on the calendar question during the meeting.