Md. Districts Criticized for Using Muslim Holiday as Storm Makeup Day

The Washington Post

13:01 JST, February 17, 2026

After a harsh winter storm pummeled the D.C. region last month, Maryland’s two largest school districts are facing backlash for using a Muslim holiday to make up for lost class time.

For years, Montgomery County Public Schools has designated Eid al-Fitr as a noninstructional day for students. The festival commemorates the breaking of a month-long fast for Ramadan, and Muslims gather to pray, exchange gifts, enjoy meals and spend time with family.

But the Montgomery school district recently announced that March 20, the day of Eid al-Fitr, will be used as a makeup day to squeeze required instructional hours into the school year. The district said it has four days to make up.

Prince George’s County Public Schools, which closed for several days after the winter storm, also is using March 20 as a makeup day.

Both districts say Muslim students will be granted excused absences to observe Eid al-Fitr.

Still, the choice to hold classes that day has drawn criticism.

Zainab Chaudry, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations office in Maryland, said Eid al-Fitr should be granted the same respect as Judeo-Christian holidays like Yom Kippur and Easter, which are designated non-instruction days in both school districts. Chaudry said it is unfair to put families in the position of choosing between religious observance and school instruction.

She called on the districts to amend their makeup plans.

“Our holidays are not expendable. Our communities do not get to decide whether or not they want to observe the holiday based on circumstances beyond their control, including the weather,” Chaudry said. “Our communities deserve the same level of dignity and respect as all other communities.”

School calendars are usually finalized around nine months before the start of the academic year. Maryland law requires those calendars to include at least 180 days of instruction.

The Montgomery and Prince George’s districts both designated March 20 among proposed makeup days for the 2025-26 academic calendar.

Montgomery County council member Evan Glass said the use of Eid al-Fitr as a school makeup day represents a step back from inclusivity.

Glass said he has been in contact with members of Maryland’s legislature, and is urging for a change that could prevent religious holidays from being used to make up for lost instructional time.

Doug Hollis, who chairs the calendar committee for the Prince George’s school district, said the body tries to be respectful and create a calendar that represents most religious groups, but ultimately school districts have to meet the 180-day instructional requirement.

While the committee is certainly aware of religious observances, Hollis said, its main considerations are operational impacts, like the availability of teachers and predicted student attendance.

In total, Prince George’s students have to make up eight days, including for a closure from December. In addition to March 20, the district’s school board approved using May 27 and June 15-18 as makeup days. The district also asked the board of education for an exemption to the 180-day instruction requirement, and is considering another makeup day if its request is denied.

The Montgomery district has scheduled two makeup days so far, March 20 and June 18, the latter of which will serve as the last day of school and an early-release day. The district said additional makeup days are being considered, but it also is seeking a waiver from the state on the calendar requirement.

The Maryland State Board of Education is expected to consider the requested waivers at its Feb. 24 meeting.