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Delegates consider school-calendar bill adding select religious and cultural holidays; school board expresses preference for local control
Summary
HOCO 1025, a bill to require schools to close for specified religious and cultural holidays, prompted debate between delegates and school-board representatives over local control, operational impacts and inclusivity.
HOCO 1025, a bill that would require Howard County public schools to close for a set of religious and cultural holidays (including Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid and two Jewish High Holy Days), drew extended debate on Jan. 22 about local control, operational impacts and cultural recognition.
Delegate Wu (sponsoring the bill) and others argued the bill would codify current practice and reduce annual calendar disputes. "It's time to codify the practice," Wu said, noting the county’s demographic changes and assertions that the holidays affect substantial student populations. Dr. Linfeng Chen and other school-system officials said the district has tended to accommodate these observances already and that the school system lacks comprehensive religion-specific data because the district does not collect students’ religious affiliation.
Jen Mallow, speaking for the Howard County Board of Education, said the board opposed legislative mandates on calendars because calendar decisions are a local operational responsibility and the board wants flexibility to respond to changing demographics and operational needs. "The board's position on this bill was to oppose, given that it is should be a locally decided issue," Mallow said.
Delegates discussed technical amendments (including one to remove language that could cause weekday/weekend ambiguity for holidays that begin at sundown) and a separate amendment to make the calendar change effective for students only, not staff, for an implementation date in 2026–27. Supporters said the bill would reduce recurring calendar debate and recognize students who observe the listed holidays; opponents said it could constrain local decision-making and may not be comprehensive for all faiths and cultural groups.
The delegation did not vote on HOCO 1025 and asked the school system and board members to provide additional information and consider options such as multi-year calendar approvals that could reduce repeated disputes.
