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Darien student asks board to recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as school holidays
Summary
A Darien High School senior asked the Board of Education to add the two major Islamic holy days to the district calendar, citing hardship when students miss school and comparing Darien to neighboring districts that have already recognized Eid.
A Darien High School student urged the Board of Education to recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official district holidays on the school calendar.
Alina Shazad, a rising senior at Darien Public Schools, described how Eid mornings are important religious celebrations that follow Ramadan and said Muslim students and staff currently must choose between religious observance and school responsibilities. "All we're asking for is 2 days, 1 for each Eid," she told the board, adding that neighboring Connecticut districts — including Norwalk, Stamford, Fairfield, Trumbull and others — had already recognized Eid on their calendars.
Shazad said Eid accommodations would better support students who observe Ramadan and Eid, and argued that recognizing the holidays would signal that Darien values inclusion. She told the board she often returns from Eid to a heavy academic workload and asked the district to provide clearer communication to families about calendar changes.
Board members did not take action on the request at the meeting. The topic was discussed in the broader calendar conversation and board members asked staff to consider the request alongside other calendar alternatives and to report back before the June meeting.
