Loudoun County school board approves days off for religious holidays

Next year’s calendar will include more holidays for students and teachers in Loudoun County, Virginia, schools.

The newly approved 2021-2022 school calendar includes days off for students and staff on Sept. 16, Nov. 4 and May 3.

These are dates of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in Judaism; Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights; and Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

This week’s move by Loudoun County’s school board was made to reflect the county’s increasingly diverse population.

The board also voted to designate Election Day as a holiday for students and staff.

Next year, classes in Loudoun County Public Schools will start Aug. 26, and the last day of school will be June 17.

Last month, the Prince William County school board also voted to add diverse holidays to its school calendar.

Michelle Basch

Michelle Basch is a reporter turned morning anchor at WTOP News.

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