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Muslim students urge Rochester schools to recognize Eid as official holiday
Summary
Student leaders from multiple Rochester high schools asked the school board to designate Eid as a school holiday, saying Muslim students face a recurring choice between worship and schoolwork when Eid falls on a school day.
Several student leaders asked the Rochester Community School Board of Education on May 19 to recognize the Islamic holiday of Eid as an official school day off, saying current calendars force Muslim students to choose between religious observance and schoolwork.
“Eid is one of the most sacred and joyful days of the year,” said Oyedadiki (identified locally as Loya Sadiki), introduced as president of the Muslim Student Association. “When it lands on a school day, we're forced into a choice: do we celebrate our faith or keep up with school work?”
Ayesha Hook, a junior and the MSA treasurer at Rochester High School, told the board that districts across the U.S., including some Michigan districts, have recently added Eid to their academic calendars. “This isn't just about a day off,” she said. “It's about standing by the values that make this district exceptional.”
Yasir Hamdan, co‑president of the Adams High School MSA, described successful local accommodations — such as flexible testing dates — that schools and administrators had made but said those stopgap measures still place a burden on students. Several younger students and families from across the district also spoke about field‑day scheduling conflicts and the social cost of missing religious observances.
Students and their supporters urged the board to consider calendar adjustments that would either create a districtwide Eid holiday or otherwise avoid scheduling major assessments on the day. The speakers said the change would reduce absenteeism and better reflect the district’s stated commitment to inclusion; speakers cited Troy and Bloomfield school districts as examples that have adopted Eid as a holiday.
Board members acknowledged the request and discussed the complexity of calendar changes — which affect transportation, food service and other operations — but did not take formal action at the meeting. Superintendent Matthew Russo said district staff would continue to listen to student voices and work with the calendar committee on options for future schedules.
Ending: The board did not vote on a calendar change May 19. Student leaders asked the district to evaluate adjustments that would lessen conflicts between Eid observance and school obligations and to report back through the calendar process.
