A Stamford, Connecticut school board ignited a “calendar controversy” after voting to remove the Veterans Day and Columbus Day holidays, meaning students are expected to attend class on those dates for the next two years, local outlets reported.
According to WABC, an ABC affiliate based in New York City, one board member cited the length of the 181-day school year that would last into mid-June, arguing that the schedule is too long, but the decision to cut the holidays spawned responses from veterans and others who were outraged.
Alfred Fusco, a veteran and founding member of Stamford’s chapter of the Italian-American service organization UNICO, told the outlet the move was a “gut punch” to him, adding, “It was terrible. It had no inclination.”
On X, some blasted the decision as “woke” and labeled it as “cancel culture.” One wrote, “Why stop there? Eliminate Washington’s birthday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas!”
Another labeled the decision “unconscionable.” The board’s 5-3 vote took place last Tuesday, with the president absent.
Local outlet, the Stamford Advocate, said board member Joshua Esses, who proposed removing the two holidays, also proposed removing Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday, and the second day of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah from the calendar, but that suggestion received no support.
The outlet also noted that Esses argued that both Veterans Day and Columbus Day could be incorporated into the school curriculum in place of observing the holidays at home.
According to state statute, regional boards of education are authorized to close public schools or keep them open on select holidays outside December and January, but, if class is held, schools are required to hold a “suitable nonsectarian educational program” to observe that day. Columbus Day, meanwhile, has remained an embattled holiday as concerns over the famous explorer’s role in colonial conquest linger.
