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Milford residents urge school board to recognize Diwali as a school holiday
Summary
Multiple Milford residents and students told the Board of Education that recognizing Diwali as a school holiday would promote equity and allow families to observe a daylong religious observance without forcing students to choose between faith and school.
Residents and students urged the Milford Board of Education on Feb. 9 to add Diwali to the district calendar so Hindu families do not have to choose between religious observance and classroom instruction.
At public comment, Ranjit Bhavy (37 Magnolia Road) told the board Diwali "is a significant religious observance for Hindu families" and that while the state recognizes Diwali and neighboring towns have made it a holiday, Milford has not. He said excused absences "do not fully address the academic and emotional impact of missing instructional period" and framed holiday recognition as an equity measure.
Senior Harshita Quapali described a typical Diwali day and said students often sit through a full school day after early-morning and late-evening religious observances. "Giving students a day off in Diwali would mean allowing them to fully participate in a tradition that has lasted thousands of years and to feel that their identities are truly recognized and valued in our schools," she said.
Other speakers described community service tied to Diwali: Vot Patin reported the local effort collected "4,000 plus pounds of food" and more than "$4,000" for a pantry drive, and Dul Patel said the local Hindu temple (25 Research Drive) gathered more than 850 people last year. Kishor Kotpali, who identified himself as a Milford Education Foundation board member, told trustees the state now recognizes Diwali and urged Milford to align with that recognition.
Board chair Susan Glennon thanked speakers and said the board had already adopted the calendar for next September but would "take this into consideration" when planning future calendars and directed residents to continue the conversation with the superintendent's office. There was no vote or immediate change to the adopted calendar at the meeting.
What happens next: The board said it will continue to consider calendar changes for future school years; residents were encouraged to follow up with the superintendent's office.
