Montgomery Schools: Absences On Muslim Holiday Higher, But Officials Say Not Overly So

Muslim leaders in Montgomery County may have hit a stumbling block in their efforts to persuade school district officials to declare one of the two major Islamic holy days of the year an official school holiday.

With Montgomery’s board of education expected to consider the school calendar at its Tuesday meeting, district officials have released figures they say do not show abnormally high rates of absenteeism for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

High rates of absence are considered a potential basis for adding a holiday to the school calendar. Officials say they cannot simply recognize a religious holiday with a day off. 
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