BILL NUMBER: S8501
SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to allowing school
districts to opt out of observing any state-designated cultural or reli-
gious holiday
 
PURPOSE:
This bill permits school districts to opt out of observing state-desig-
nated cultural or religious holidays when less than ten percent of such
school district's population observes the holiday.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one allows school districts to opt out of observing state-desig-
nated cultural or religious holidays when less than ten percent of such
school district's population observes the holiday. Schools are encour-
aged to accommodate those who celebrate a state-designated cultural or
religious holiday that is not observed in a school district pursuant to
this section. This section of law does not apply to federally-designated
holidays.
Section two sets forth the effective date.
 
EXISTING LAW:
Education Law § 3604
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill would give greater control to school districts over their
academic calendars, and further give them the flexibility needed to
minimize disruptions in teaching. While emergency snow and extreme
weather days cut into the school year, schools end up keeping students
later into the summer to ensure they achieve the state mandated 180
school days per school year.
This bill would permit districts to opt-out of observing certain state-
designated cultural or religious holidays, when less than 10% of the
district observes the holiday. However, this bill further protects those
students and staff who do observe such holiday by reminding the district
that they should accommodate anyone observing the holiday. The bill
further explicitly excludes federally-designated holidays, as this
section of law does not apply to any exclusively federal holidays.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
NONE
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
NONE
 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
NONE
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8501: 3604 education law