School Removes Veterans Day Holiday

A Connecticut school district came under criticism this month after its school board moved to scrap both Veterans Day and Columbus Day from its school calendar. The move prompted a sharp backlash from parents and received national attention.

The Stamford, Connecticut school board decided to remove the two holidays from its calendars and have students attend classes. The decision was made after a 5-3 vote with the school board’s president not present for the vote.

According to the local press, the school board member who moved to strip the two holidays also sought to have others removed, as well. This includes a Muslim Holiday and the second day of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. However, these two proposals did not receive support.

The school board member argued that both Veterans Day and Columbus Day could include students celebrating the holidays at home. The move is legal, according to state law.

One member of the Stamford school board said that it would send a “mixed message” to have students come into school for Columbus Day after students are taught about Columbus negatively.

Starting in the fall, public schools in Stamford, Connecticut will hold classes on two federal holidays. https://t.co/vCQ1FZOmkE

— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) January 27, 2024

“The students were using primary sources to investigate the true history of Columbus and I can tell you that, based on primary source research, no, they did not conclude that Columbus was a hero,” said school board member Versha Munsi-South.

This is not the first time that a school district has attempted to cancel Columbus Day. In recent years a number of school districts and government entities have removed the calendar event altogether or have replaced it with another term, including ‘Explorers Day’ and ‘Indigenous People’s Day.’

The movement to remove Columbus Day has also received considerable criticism from both conservatives and Italian Americans. The October holiday often celebrates the explorer’s Italian heritage and the country’s influence on the United States.

The school district released a statement that said that some other local schools “already remain open on Columbus Day and/or Veterans Day and both holidays will continue to be acknowledged on the Stamford Public Schools calendar along with other holidays and religious observances that fall on days when school is in session. “