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Families ask Wissahickon board to add Lunar New Year to district calendar; board says it will review comparable districts
Summary
Students and parents asked the district to recognize Lunar New Year as an official school holiday, citing the district’s 16% Asian student population and examples from neighboring districts; board members said they will review calendars of similar districts.
At the second public‑comment period, a coalition of parents and students urged the Wissahickon School District to add Lunar New Year to the district calendar as an official school holiday.
Katie O., speaking on behalf of Asian and Asian‑American families, said Lunar New Year is “one of the most meaningful holidays across many Asian communities” and noted that about 16% of Wissahickon students identify as Asian. She told the board the group had collected signatures in support and asked the district to align calendar practice with stated equity goals.
Casey Young, a high‑school junior representing the Asian Student Association, said students who observe Lunar New Year often face a choice between family observance and schoolwork and cited student signatures collected by student groups. Ginger Poulet, a Blue Bell parent, said surrounding districts including North Penn, Central Bucks and Upper Dublin already include Lunar New Year on their calendars and asked why Wissahickon does not.
Board members responded that calendar decisions require cross‑district comparison and that the administration would study holidays used by demographically similar districts when building future calendars. The board chair asked staff to consider calendar inclusions for the next planning cycle and look for ways to accommodate diverse cultural observances while balancing instruction days and state requirements.
