Rochester Public Schools (RPS) voted to add the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha to their school calendar in a 4-1 vote.
Superintendent Kent Pekel stated in a school board meeting June 16 that Rochester district schools would be closing for families who observe Eid al-Adha starting the 2027-2028 academic year. Rationale for the initial proposal and final decision focused on absenteeism in classrooms and multilingual learning hindrances.
Comparing the holiday to Christmas and New Year’s, Pekel said high numbers of absent students create problems for teachers and learning the curriculum materials — especially for students who speak a different language, as significant absences can disrupt development of their linguistic skills.
“The recommendation around Eid, which has generated good discussion, was driven by the same rationale,” Pekel said. “We saw significant increases in absenteeism on multiple instances of that holiday. This is not a statement about the official approach to that holiday just as it is not a statement about the Christian holiday of Christmas. It is tied to absenteeism.”
Director Justin Cook, the one board member who dissented, argued that the vote would contradict the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause by putting the board in a position of power to determine whether a religious holiday should be observed.
“Regardless of the rationale provided, the public perception is bound to be that the board has established a hierarchy of religious observance where some warrant school closure and others do not,” Cook said. “To that point, if we approve this, we must be prepared to justify why days like Good Friday, Rosh Hashanah or Diwali do not meet the same threshold.”
Cook argued that despite the absenteeism data, the board members needed to consider public perception and reactions to the decision being made.
“I just do not believe our district should be in the business of drawing these lines,” Cook said. “My judgment is that the best way to handle religious holidays in our district is already established in current policy 503, which mandates that the district accommodate religious observances through excused absences.”
With the passing of the calendar change, Cook recommended that the district share the attendance data used to create the proposal, as well as define the metrics by which the district determines similar calendar changes in the future. He expressed that this would be key to transparency and predictability with the public.
Other district residents were also given the opportunity to express their concerns to the board.
🚨 WATCH: Residents speak out as Rochester Public Schools votes to add the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha to the school calendar
"Christmas break became winter break. Easter break became spring break … yet this Muslim holiday is to be an official school holiday. This is an… pic.twitter.com/Ngro9DSuEM
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) June 17, 2026
“It is now clear that Rochester Public Schools does not intend to abide by the concept of separation of church and state, at least for the Muslim religion,” one resident said. “RPS certainly separates itself aggressively from Christianity and Judaism. I also find no RPS promotion of any other religion other than what you’re voting on tonight.”
He cited George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” saying that the famous phrase “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” applies to this issue. But instead of animals in a social hierarchy, it’s religion.
“Christmas break became winter break. Easter break became spring break … yet this Muslim holiday is to be an official school holiday.”
The resident also stated that on the same logic of high absenteeism, RPS should be declaring Senior Skip Day an official holiday to be observed as well.
The approved calendar change will take effect beginning with the 2027–2028 school year, when Eid al-Adha will be observed as a district-wide school holiday.
Rachael Van Rossum
Rachael Van Rossum is a journalist and author who studies political science in the Twin Cities. She previously interned with the Illinois House of Representatives and recently published her debut fantasy novel "The Hellburner of Sovi." Rachael is passionate about telling compelling stories and bringing to life the voices of political figures, athletes, and members of her community through engaging writing. She is the Alpha News journalism fellow for the summer of 2026.
