Most Wake schools won’t have classes on Yom Kippur and Eid. Some say do more.
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- Wake County scheduled a teacher workday Oct. 11, 2027 for Yom Kippur.
- Wake County scheduled a teacher workday May 5, 2028 for Eid al‑Adha.
- A board member said Jewish and Muslim teachers must use annual leave or make up time.
Wake County school leaders have rejected opening traditional-calendar schools in the 2027-28 school year on some of the holiest days of the year for Jewish and Muslim families.
This week, the Wake school board unanimously approved a schedule for traditional-calendar schools that includes teacher workdays on Oct. 11, 2027 for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and May 5, 2028 for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The board rejected three alternative 2027-28 school year calendars, including an option that had both holidays listed as regular school days.
The majority of schools use the traditional calendar. The decision to not hold classes on Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha drew praise from some school board members and community members.
“Muslim students are the largest religious group after Christians, and they are a growing and big part of this district,” community activist Zainab Baloch told the board on Tuesday. “And at a time when we are seeing rising hate and violence against Muslims globally, these kinds of decisions are really meaningful because they send a message. They send a message that you belong here.”
But school board member Jennifer Job said it’s still unfair that Jewish and Muslim teachers have to use annual leave time to take those days off or work out arrangements with their principals to work other days.
“If Christian teachers don’t have to make up hours for observing Christmas or Easter, Muslim teachers shouldn’t have to make up hours for Eid, and Jewish teachers shouldn’t have to make up for Yom Kippur,” Job said.
Also on Tuesday, the school board adopted 2027-28 school year calendar for year-round schools and modified-calendar schools. The board also approved 2026-27 school year calendars for early colleges and revised the 2026-27 calendar for year-round schools.
Protecting 2028 spring break for teachers
Last month, the school board received draft calendars from the district’s calendar committee. The group of teachers, parents, principals, district administrators and community members makes recommendations on calendars.
The calendar committee’s initial 2027-28 schedule for traditional-calendar schools included teacher workdays on Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha. It’s part of how the district says it tries when possible to honor community requests to observe important cultural days.
Some school board members raised concerns that the proposed traditional calendar had the first day of spring break on March 27, 2028 listed as a teacher workday. Principals could require teachers to work that Monday and not be able to have a full week off.
In response, the calendar committee presented three alternatives to the school board this week.
The school board picked Option C, which swaps the vacation day scheduled for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving with the March 27 workday. The calendar also moves an Easter Monday workday on April 17, 2028 to April 3 so that teachers can use that day to enter student grades in report cards for the third quarter.
Board nixes option to reduce school year workdays
In Option D, the district would have reduced the number of teacher workdays during the school year to have more five-day school weeks. This option would have removed several workdays, like those on Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha, and placed them before the first day of classes and after the last day of classes.
Option D would have resulted in no days off scheduled for February and only one day off each in April and May.
“It can feel kind of long for school personnel,” said Tamani Anderson Powell, the district administrator who oversees the calendar committee.
Anderson Powell said Option D drew the least support of the three new options when it was presented to the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council.
School board vice chair Sam Hershey had been vocal about pushing for more five-day school weeks. But Hershey said “I do understand the pros to having workdays every month.”
Challenges for Jewish and Muslim teachers
Baloch thanked the board for picking an “inclusive” calendar that gives students off on Eid al-Adha and Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement.
Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham to Christians and Jews) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God.
“For Muslim students, Eid is not optional,” Baloch said. “It is one of two Islamic holidays, and it is one of the most important days of the year. It’s a time of community, reflection, prayer, and students really should never have to make the choice of showing up for school or showing up for their faith.”
But both Baloch and Job said Wake should go further and make Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha as vacation days or holidays for staff.
“If you’re Christian, your most major holidays are automatically holidays,” Job said. “But if you’re anything else, you have to use your annual leave for it.”
Job said newer teachers don’t have enough annual leave time. Job recalled how 20 years ago as a young teacher she was told by a principal she could make up the time by coming in on a Saturday, which would be the Sabbath for her religion.
“I’m glad we’re looking at a calendar that has workdays for Yom Kippur and Eid,” said Job, who is Jewish. “And I just think for the future it should go further. And as a religious minority, I know it’s what it’s like to have to sacrifice to honor my holidays.”
But school board chair Tyler Swanson said the district’s options are limited due to North Carolina’s school calendar law, which sets when the school year can begin and end.
“That is why calendar flexibility will always be on our legislative agenda until we can get a legislative body that gives us the ability to start school when it makes sense for us,” Swanson said.
