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Williamsville board adds Rosh Hashanah to 2025–26 calendar as superintendent conference day; parent questions process
Summary
The Board of Education voted unanimously March 11 to amend and approve the 2025–26 student calendar, adding Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 23, 2025) as a superintendent conference day; a parent later criticized the process saying the public saw a different calendar than the one ultimately adopted
The Williamsville Central School District Board of Education unanimously approved the 2025–26 student calendar on March 11 after amending it to recognize Rosh Hashanah as a superintendent conference day.
Board member Miss Bulin proposed the amendment to add Rosh Hashanah on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, as a non‑instructional superintendent conference day; the motion was seconded by Mister Manna and carried unanimously, the board recorded. After the amendment passed, the board approved the calendar as amended.
Why it matters: The change formally recognizes Rosh Hashanah on the district’s official calendar for 2025–26, which affects school schedules and family planning. Board members said the amendment was offered following a DEI committee email and broader community input.
Public comment after the vote: Parent Dana Hensley, who had earlier raised calendar concerns during the same meeting, criticized the timing and process. “You voted on something that you showed the public, and you ended up voting on something that’s different. I don’t think that’s right,” Hensley said during the second public‑comment period, asking for clearer procedures when the board solicits public feedback on a draft calendar.
Procedural note: Board rules permit public comment but do not provide back‑and‑forth at the meeting; board members said commenters will receive follow‑up responses by email. The board did not rescind the calendar vote; it adopted the amended calendar that night.
Ending: The calendar vote was part of a larger consent agenda that passed. The board directed staff to include calendar items in BoardDocs and to communicate schedules to families.
