Millburn BOE Still Pondering New School Holidays: Diwali, Lunar New Year

MILLBURN, NJ — As the Millburn Board of Education ramps up for its public meeting on Monday, Oct. 23, there will be a looming question on the minds of many parents and students in the district: will Diwali and the Chinese Lunar New Year be approved as a new school holiday?

The Millburn BOE unanimously approved a resolution that recognized the importance of finding days that schools could close to honor Diwali and the Lunar New Year earlier this month, NorthJersey.com reported.

Diwali, the five-day Hindu “festival of lights,” is celebrated by millions of people across the world every autumn. Self-identified “religious statesman” Rajan Zed has said that official recognition of the holiday on the school calendar would respect the feelings of local Hindus, who had been pushing for the Diwali holiday in Millburn schools for many years.

The Chinese Lunar New Year or "Spring Festival" as it’s been called since the 20th century, remains the most important social and economic holiday in China, according to history.com.

Last week, Millburn Superintendent Christine Burton gave an update on the possibility that the district may add Diwali and Lunar New Year to the school calendar. (See the 2017-18 calendar here)

“As you know the calendars for the school years from 2018 through 2021 have been under discussion,” Burton said. “In the coming week the administration and Board of Education Program Committee will be reviewing final versions of these calendars to provide the appropriate balance of education, vacation, professional development and inclement weather days. We will then share final options for community input.”

Burton’s presentation on the topic from the Oct. 9 Board of Education meeting can be seen here.

According to Millburn school administrators, the district’s Asian student population is second-highest to its white student population. And while the white population has been steadily shrinking over the past several years (from 3,366 students in 2013-14 to 2,730 in 2017-18), the district’s Asian population has risen from 1,105 students in 2013-14 to 1,622 in 2017-18.

About 31 percent of community members in Millburn supported adding Diwali and Lunar New Year to the school calendar in a recent survey, administrators said.

According to Millburn administrators, the estimated timeline for school calendar approval includes:

• September 23 – first set of calendars at the BOE meeting
• September 29 – community input through Superintendent’s weekly update
• October 9 - second set of calendars at the BOE meeting
• October 9 to 20 – community input through district website
• October 23 –Board discussion and approval of calendars

The Oct. 23 Millburn Board of Education meeting will take place at 7:45 p.m. the Education Center at 434 Millburn Avenue.

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