Diwali Now A Day Off On Princeton Schools' 2027-28 Calendar

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton Public Schools will close for Diwali in the 2027-28 school year after the holiday was left off the draft calendar.

Superintendent Mike LaSusa told the Board of Education Tuesday that the district "needed to rectify that we had left out Diwali as a holiday, which we have now inserted."

Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Adding the day off means the Friday before Presidents Day weekend will now be a school day, LaSusa said.

Board President Dafna Kendal thanked LaSusa for adding the holiday and thanked community members who gave feedback on the calendar, saying their input was considered.

The board also discussed whether the Friday before Labor Day 2027 should be a full day or an early dismissal. The district first planned an early dismissal for that day, then switched to a full day. LaSusa said conversations with board members had him leaning back toward an early dismissal, "just so that students and staff get back in, have almost a full week of school, but an early exit on the Friday before Labor Day for the long holiday."

One board member said they preferred a full day, noting that early dismissals can limit the district's scheduling flexibility. LaSusa said an early dismissal before Labor Day would not create that problem, though he would not recommend changing the early dismissal on the Friday before Christmas.

The board included the calendar in its consent agenda, with the option to revisit the Labor Day Friday later.

LaSusa also said the current 2026-27 calendar has been updated to show all conference dates, including those at the K-5 level.

The meeting was the board's first since the school year began. LaSusa said feedback on the opening of schools and back-to-school nights has been very positive.

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