Holidays again an issue for Hillsborough schools
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published September 30, 2006
TAMPA - A new proposal to strip all religious holidays from Hillsborough County's school calendar has generated little reaction from groups that opposed the idea a year ago.
But at least one School Board member has no intention of staying quiet.
An incensed Jennifer Faliero said Friday that it's ludicrous to scrub what she considers tradition and culture from the school district's operations. Days off for Good Friday and Yom Kippur must remain in the calendar, she said.
The committee that recommended the secular calendar "totally missed the reasons why there was a national outcry," Faliero said. "If we don't make changes, we're going to be right back where we were."
She said she was "tempted to leak this to Bill O'Reilly," referring to the Fox News commentator who turned last year's calendar debate into a national argument.
"This country is a majority Christian nation," Faliero said. "I need to take a stand on that for principle alone."
She could end up alone on the School Board.
Although it later changed its mind, the board initially voted 5-1 in favor of a secular calendar last fall. Faliero was the sole opponent.
Several board members who later switched their votes said that calendar process was not sufficiently transparent. This year, the calendar committee surveyed hundreds of parents and solicited dozens of e-mails.
Board member Candy Olson, one of those to flip positions last year, complimented the calendar committee on its recent work. Students deserve a calendar that focuses on academic requirements, she said, noting that U.S. schools are far behind other industrialized nations in their number of class days.
"If we want our kids to learn and be able to compete, we're going to have to make adjustments," Olson said.
Carol Kurdell, who steadfastly backed the secular calendar, has not changed her mind.
"People have the availability to take off whatever religious holidays they need to," she said. "That's a fair way to do it."
An Education Department representative said Good Friday is not a state holiday. However, if a school district wishes to offer the day off, it can request a test schedule change from the department.
Faliero argued that Hillsborough should take such a stance.
Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at solochek@sptimes.com or 813 269-5304.