(JTA) — Baltimore County Public Schools are considering removing two Jewish holidays from the school calendar.

The school district, trying to find a way to get enough class hours into the yearly schedule to meet new state regulations, is considering holding classes on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Schools in the district have been closed on those days for the last two decades.

Parents and community leaders attended a hearing on the issue with the school board on Tuesday night. A vote is scheduled for Oct. 24.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Two calendars are being presented – one with the holidays off and one with classes scheduled on the holidays. The calendar committee, made up of staff, parents and community members, has recommended the calendar that keeps schools open, according to the Baltimore Sun.

It is not known exactly how many Jewish students are in the schools.

The Baltimore Jewish Council told the school board, however, that at least 1,500 teachers in the school district are Jewish and that many would chose to stay home for the holidays, leading to the need to hire a large amount of substitute teachers at a cost of hundreds of thousands to a million dollars, and potentially creating a dangerous student-to-teacher ratio on those days. The council told the school board that it would like to see the schools remained closed on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount