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Plainview-Old Bethpage board adopts 2025–26 calendar and considers adding Eid al-Adha for 2026
Summary
Board adopted the 2025–26 school calendar and debated accommodating the second Eid (Eid al-Adha) in 2026 by swapping a snow day; a resident representing the Muslim community thanked the superintendent for responsiveness and urged the district to normalize cultural observances.
The Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District board approved the 2025–26 district calendar and took up a formal request from Muslim families to recognize the second Eid (Eid al-Adha) as a day off.
The superintendent told trustees the district had received a request to add Eid al-Adha and recommended, for 2026 only, switching a scheduled snow day (the Friday before Memorial Day) to Wednesday, May 27 so the district could accommodate the holiday "if it fall[s] outside of the AP week." He warned that lunar-calendar holidays shift each year and therefore may be difficult to guarantee every year.
Public input: Paris Freshie, who identified themself and gave a local address, spoke for members of the POB Muslim community to thank district leaders: "We fully recognize and appreciate the fact that there are only a certain number of days that can be student teaching days...It truly means so much that that was something that her friends knew and understood about her," Freshie said, explaining why calendar recognition matters for students' inclusion and cultural competence.
Board discussion focused on legal and contractual constraints that shape the calendar: a board member noted state rules and collective-bargaining requirements set the number of instructional days and the district must avoid risking state aid or required student-contact days. A trustee supporting the superintendent’s recommendation said accommodating one Eid in 2026 is reasonable while cautioning about future years when AP exams or calendar shifts could make the same accommodation impractical.
Votes at a glance: The board moved and approved the 2025–26 calendar (agenda item 11.1) by voice vote and then proceeded through routine items including permission to circulate policy 6710 (purchasing authority), approval of a confidential settlement, an MOA with the Nassau County Board of Elections, approval of nonlocal field trips, and an MOA with Built-In Newton Grounds Unit. The board also voted to enter executive session to discuss personnel and seek counsel advice; transcripts recorded motions and seconds but did not include roll-call vote tallies.
What happens next: For 2026 the superintendent’s approach was to repurpose a snow day if calendar alignment permits; the board asked central office to continue communication with affected families and to post calendar details online. The board also committed to a public follow-up when the expedited building-condition survey is available and whenever calendar adjustments are enacted.
