Board of Ed considers Muslim holidays

Prospect (WTNH) - Members of the Region 16 Board of Education heard from the public Wednesday night about adding two Muslim holidays to the school calendar.

"Once you open the door and recognize other religions, we do set a precedence for observance of others and we have to fit it into the parameters of the year," said School Superintendent James Agostine.

Region 16 comprises Beacon Falls and Prospect.

Some parents say religious holiday or not it will push the school year farther into the summer. By law, the students have to be in class for 180 days and they do get two days off for religious observance.

"It pushes the school year a lot later into the school year then we are pushing into June," said Rhonda Pellegrino of Prospect. "That's where the problem lies, with the children. Do they want to be at the end of the school year and they have to make those days up somewhere?"

One woman stood up and said while it would be nice to recognize the Muslim holidays, she said for more than 10-years she has been talking to the school trying to get them to honor the Jewish holidays especially Yam Kipper.

She is saying they have not honored her request so why now all of a sudden put it before the board for a vote on the Muslim holidays?

"Addressing the Muslim holidays is opening a can of worms that I don't think the board is able to accomodate. For 13 years I have been asking the Region 16 board to consider eliminating a school day for the Yam Kipper holiday," said Ruth Accagnini of Prospect.

It's estimated that about 6 percent, or about 48 students, in the school district are Muslim. Student Representative Sara Huges said there are more Muslim students in her school than Jewish students, so the Muslim holiday should take presidence.

"I don't want to say one is more important, but we have a larger impact. The days we are in school impact the Muslim students more when they are out on their holidays, because more students have to miss school and more students have to make up the work," said Hughes.

No decision has been made. The idea has been passed to a committee, but they do not expect a decision this year on adding the holidays.