Montgomery County Councilmembers are raising concerns about a decision by Montgomery County Public Schools to designate Eid al-Fitr as an instructional make-up day following weather-related closures.
Councilmember Evan Glass said using the Muslim holiday as a make-up day is troubling and sends the wrong message about inclusion and equity. In a statement, Glass noted that other major religious and cultural holidays, including Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, and Lunar New Year, are treated as non-instructional days, and said the situation could have been avoided with similar treatment for Eid al-Fitr.
Councilmember Will Jawando also criticized the proposal in a letter to the Board of Education, calling on school leaders to reverse the decision. Jawando said holding classes on Eid al-Fitr places Muslim students and families in a position of choosing between religious observance and school attendance. While acknowledging the challenges created by recent winter storms and state instructional requirements, he urged the district to pursue alternative solutions that do not require holding classes on religious holidays.
Councilmember Kristin Mink said she strongly disagrees with the proposal and expressed disappointment that Eid al-Fitr, March 20, would be designated as an instructional day. Mink said Montgomery County should prioritize equitable respect for cultural and religious holidays within the school calendar and that Muslim families should not be singled out to give up a previously recognized holiday to meet instructional requirements.
Mink said she has been in contact with Board of Education members and the MCPS superintendent throughout the day and was encouraged to hear that some agree the plan should be changed. She also said she has been in touch with state partners regarding pending legislation that would allow instructional time to be counted in hours rather than days, a change that could provide additional flexibility if applied to the current school year. Mink added that she supports MCPS’s request for a state waiver in light of what she described as unprecedented weather conditions.
“All that said, Muslim families should never have been told that they, and they alone, would need to give up observing a previously accounted-for holiday for their kids to receive equal instructional time,” Mink said. She urged the Board of Education to select and announce a different, more equitable backup plan.
Glass said he plans to contact state education officials and the MCPS superintendent to seek flexibility in meeting instructional requirements. All three councilmembers emphasized the importance of maintaining a school calendar that reflects the county’s diversity while remaining in compliance with state education standards.
