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Residents urge Sudbury-area committees to recognize Eid and Diwali on school calendars
Summary
Multiple Sudbury residents asked the Tri-District committees April 9 to add Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Diwali to school calendars or create a clear policy on observances, saying students are forced to choose between academics and cultural or religious celebrations.
Several Sudbury residents used the public comment period at the Tri-District meeting April 9 to press school committees to recognize Muslim and South Asian observances on school calendars.
Murtuza Khan said MCAS and Town Meeting fell on March 30 this year, the date of Eid al-Fitr, and asked that the districts recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official holidays so families need not choose between faith observance and academic responsibilities. Vidya Parwani and multiple other residents — including Preeti Joshi, Sneha Chaturvedi Lalit and Maria Afzal — urged adding Diwali, saying recognition would support cultural identity and reduce the burden on families who cannot complete all-day rituals while students are in school.
Leena Muntaseer, a Lincoln-Sudbury High School student and co-president of the Muslim Citizens Association, said the lack of recognition creates a feeling of disconnection for students who must decide between school and religious observance. Neeraj Kasi, a Lincoln-Sudbury sophomore, and other residents described personal experiences of choosing between Diwali celebrations and school attendance. One commenter noted that neighboring districts such as Acton-Boxborough observe Diwali, creating a disparity for families who live in different towns.
During the same public comment period, Sarah Thompson requested an additional fourth-grade section at Haynes Elementary, citing a current class size of 27 and available classroom space. Committee members did not vote on calendar changes or classroom assignments at the meeting but agreed to form the Tri-District Calendar Review Subcommittee to study holiday recognition and other calendar issues.
The committees asked district and subcommittee staff to review attendance data, accommodation policies and examples from other districts and to return a draft charge for committee approval. No changes to the FY 2025 calendar were adopted at the meeting.
