{"id":2669282,"date":"2026-09-24T16:06:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T20:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignvirginia-school-board-considers-axing-veterans-day-holiday-to-make-room-for-islamic-hindu-ones\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T16:09:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T20:09:54","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignvirginia-school-board-considers-axing-veterans-day-holiday-to-make-room-for-islamic-hindu-ones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignvirginia-school-board-considers-axing-veterans-day-holiday-to-make-room-for-islamic-hindu-ones\/","title":{"rendered":"VA County Considers Axing Veterans Day Holiday For Islamic Ones"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignvirginia-school-board-considers-axing-veterans-day-holiday-to-make-room-for-islamic-hindu-ones%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2669282&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Virginia&#8217;s Stafford County is considering removing Veterans Day as a student holiday for the upcoming school year amid a broader trend of adding holidays for foreign cultures. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-parents-raise-money-to-challenge-school-board-decision-not-to-reopen-schools-this-year\/\" title=\"Michigan Parents Raise Money To Challenge ... Board Decision Not To Reopen ...s This Year\">school board discussed<\/a> different calendar options for 2027-2028 adn 2028-2029, with some calendars recognizing Veterans Day as a holiday and others not. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arrest-mirrors-disturbing-claims-about-migrant-and-daughter-months-after-shelters-ex-director-spoke-out\/\" title=\"Arrest Mirrors Disturbing Claims About Migrant and Daughter Months After Shelter\u2019s Ex-Director Spoke Out\">proposed change aims<\/a> to address the county\u2019s challenge of meeting the Virginia requirement of 180 instructional days, wich it has struggled to fulfill since 2021 despite meeting instructional hours.The increase in days off for holidays like Yom Kippur, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Diwali-holidays for Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism-has contributed to interconnected issues with the academic calendar. the board\u2019s discussions also touched on balancing cultural recognition with preserving holidays for veteran appreciation, especially given Stafford\u2019s sizable veteran population. There is debate about whether to prioritize federal and state holidays over other religious or cultural observances. Final decisions are pending, with some members advocating for a calendar that only includes major holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents\u2019 Day.Similar actions have been taken by Fairfax County, which recently eliminated Veterans Day as a school holiday but kept Indigenous Peoples\u2019 Day.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>One of Virginia\u2019s wealthiest counties is considering removing Veterans Day as a student holiday for next year\u2019s school calendar. The potential move comes after years of the county increasingly giving students and staff days off to recognize the holidays of foreign cultures.<\/p>\n<p>Stafford County School Board officials <a href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/scpsva\/Board.nsf\/goto?open&#038;id=DXZLL4570669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">held<\/a> a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k-ZZPCrrwTs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">meeting<\/a> on Tuesday to discuss (among other agenda items) calendar proposals for the 2027-2028 academic school year. While <a href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/scpsva\/Board.nsf\/pfiles\/DY6KV253A3AA\/$file\/Proposed%20180-Day%20Calendar%20for%202027-2028%20(version%202).pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one<\/a> of the proposed calendars recognizes Veterans Day as a staff and student holiday, the <a href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/scpsva\/Board.nsf\/pfiles\/DXXVYU8312A6\/$file\/Proposed%20180-Day%20Calendar%20for%202027-2028%20(version%201).pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other<\/a> does not. A <a href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/scpsva\/Board.nsf\/pfiles\/DY6KV453A48F\/$file\/Proposed%20180-Day%20Calendar%20for%202028-2029%20(version%201).pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">draft calendar<\/a> for the 2028-2029 school year has also been put forward but does not denote Veterans Day as a student\/staff holiday since it falls on a Saturday that year. <\/p>\n<p>The calendars were seemingly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.staffordschools.net\/trending-now\/proposed-calendar-updates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drafted<\/a> by a calendar committee comprised of Stafford County parents, students, community leaders, staff members, and \u201cbuilding administrators from existing advisory committees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fredericksburgfreepress.com\/2026\/09\/23\/stafford-still-working-to-get-to-a-180-day-school-calendar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fredericksburg Free Press<\/a> (FFP), the potential move to adjust the county\u2019s academic calendar comes as Stafford officials struggle to meet the commonwealth\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/admincode\/title8\/agency20\/chapter132\/section150\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">requirement<\/a> that a standard school year \u201cshall be 180 instructional days or 990 instructional hours.\u201d While the county has regularly met the 990 instructional hours mandate, \u201cit has not met the 180-day requirement since 2021,\u201d the outlet reported. <\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fredericksburgfreepress.com\/2026\/09\/23\/stafford-still-working-to-get-to-a-180-day-school-calendar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">telegraphed<\/a> during Tuesday\u2019s meeting, a key factor contributing to the problem is Stafford\u2019s increasing willingness to give students and staff days off for non-Christian holidays. The county\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.staffordschools.net\/about-us\/calendar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026-2027 academic calendar<\/a>, for example, includes days off for Yom Kippur (Judaism), Eid al-Fitr (Islam), and Eid al-Adha (Islam). The county also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/StaffordSchools\/posts\/on-monday-october-20-stafford-schools-will-observe-a-student-and-staff-holiday-i\/1226411539522354\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gave<\/a> students and staff the Hindu holiday of Diwali off last year. (Diwali falls on a Sunday this year). <\/p>\n<p>The calendars still give students and staff two weeks off for \u201cwinter break,\u201d which includes Christmas. <\/p>\n<p>Regarding discussions about whether to remove Veterans Day as a staff\/student holiday, Stafford Superintendent Daniel Smith said during Tuesday\u2019s meeting that, if the county school system were to move forward with that proposed calendar, there would be \u201cexpectations for schools that they do have an observance, have a lesson, certain materials about veterans and appreciation for veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stafford is home to a sizeable number of retired service members, likely due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and Marine Corps Base Quantico. The most recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/quickfacts\/fact\/table\/staffordcountyvirginia\/PST045225\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau data<\/a> shows that nearly 20,000 of the county\u2019s near 171,000 residents, or roughly 12 percent, are veterans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m conflicted here because I know that there\u2019s a very strong population that would like to see [Veterans Day] as a holiday, even though, you know, we would recognize it and do things in the school,\u201d said school board member Patricia Healy. \u201cThis is a tough one because we\u2019ve added so many other holidays recognizing other groups or, you know, portions of our population here in Stafford, and I don\u2019t want to say the veterans are less important than some of the other ones. \u2026 It just seems like we\u2019re adding and adding, and maybe we need to take back [some of those days off].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the board\u2019s student representatives, Safdar Qureshi, said he\u2019s not even looking at the calendar debacle \u201cas like religious holidays or anything,\u201d but as \u201cdays that students and staff have off.\u201d He added that, \u201cas a student,\u201d he would \u201cwant to have at least one holiday, preferably two, in the month, just because that\u2019s something to look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s something that students can use to make missing work up and take like a mental rest day almost,\u201d Qureshi said.<\/p>\n<p>The school board\u2019s chair asked staff \u201cto come back with a third 180-day calendar option that preserves only federal and state holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President\u2019s [sic] Day and removes religious holidays,\u201d according to the FFP. The board will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.staffordschools.net\/trending-now\/proposed-calendar-updates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seemingly<\/a> have final approval on which calendar is ultimately approved.<\/p>\n<p>Stafford wouldn\u2019t be the first Virginia county to ax Veterans Day as a school holiday if it were to go forward with that proposal. The Fairfax County School Board <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ffxnow.com\/2026\/04\/13\/fcps-nixes-student-holiday-for-veterans-day-after-debate-over-school-calendar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">voted<\/a> to do so earlier this year, while simultaneously keeping recognition of so-called \u201cIndigenous Peoples\u2019 Day.\u201d <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Breccan F. Thies is the White House correspondent for The Federalist. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. As an investigative journalist, he previously covered education and culture issues for the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News. He holds a degree from the University of Virginia and is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. You can follow him on X: @BreccanFThies.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stafford County considers dropping Veterans Day holiday in schools<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2669283,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Veterans-Day.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[86194,86193,76130,41247,44762],"class_list":["post-2669282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cultural-considerations","tag-holiday-policies","tag-islamic-holidays","tag-va-county","tag-veterans-day"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Veterans-Day.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2669282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2669282"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2669282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2669291,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2669282\/revisions\/2669291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2669283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2669282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2669282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2669282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}