Miami-Dade school district recognizes Eid, sacred Ramadan holiday, for first time

The Miami-Dade County School Board approved the 2023-24 school calendar, which for the first time recognizes Eid al-Fitr, a holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month.

The holiday, which falls on April 10, 2024, is designated as a teacher planning day. No students will be in school.

There was no discussion from board members Wednesday about the recognition, but Shabbir Motorwala, a founding member of the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations (COSMOS), told the Herald Thursday the move “shows a deep interest by the [district] and that they thought it was an important issue.” He also thanked the board and district for the decision.

The effort to have the day recognized began last year, after the Broward and Palm Beach school districts approved the recognition, he said.

READ MORE: Broward schools will recognize end of Ramadan for the first time in upcoming year

Despite the holiday being presented to the calendar committee for consideration, the district chose not to recognize Eid last year. At the start of the school year, COSMOS presented to the district the importance of the holiday and how it impacts students and staff. There are about 20,000-25,000 Muslim students in the district and about 500 Muslim faculty and staff, according to Motorwala.

For starters, the organization argued, students in the past have had to choose between participating in the holiday and the annual Florida State Assessments or other exams, which was a main reason for advocating for the recognition, Tehsin Siddiqui, president of COSMOS, told the Herald. (Motorwala credited Tracie Abner, assistant superintendent in the Office of School Leadership and Performance, and School Board member Lucia Baez-Geller for bringing the issue to the forefront.)

For Siddiqui, the recognition is “a positive step.” Bringing people together and highlighting diversity is “what Miami is all about,” she added.

Other important school dates

The first day of school is set for Wednesday, Aug. 17.

Like the 2022-23 school year, schools will be closed for the full week of Thanksgiving, from Nov. 20-24.

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For the winter recess, schools will be closed from Dec. 25-Jan. 5, 2024. The first day of the second semester is Jan. 9, 2024.

The last day of school for the 2023-24 school year is June 6, 2024.

The full calendar can be viewed on the district’s website.