AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District responded Wednesday why the district chose to not observe Good Friday in the 2025-2026 academic school year after nonprofit, Texas Values, submitted a letter to the district superintendent on Tuesday.
The 2025-2026 calendar year for the district was developed by the “Calendar Task Force” that included around 30-40 members from the community, like parents, teachers, campus administrators and more, per a statement from the district obtained by KXAN.
“The membership deliberately included representatives of different faiths and cultures so varied perspectives — including Christian viewpoints — were part of the discussion,” the district said.
Why Calendar Task Force chose Easter Monday vs. Good Friday
In response to the nonprofit, AISD said “the choice reflects a balancing of operational needs, instructional mandates, and diverse considerations.”
Furthermore, the district said task force “carefully considered” on how to balance out the “instructional continuity.” If the district were to observe Good Friday as a student holiday, then Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day would fall on the same week on Tuesday, March 31. That means there would be two student holidays in the same week and would only leave “two instructional days in between.”
“Campus principals reviewed the two drafts and the majority recommended the calendar ultimately approved by the Board. After considering principal recommendations, the Board adopted the calendar that included the Easter-Monday staff development day,” the district said.
What statutory, operational constraints were considered by the task force
The district’s instructional calendar must meet a minimum of 75,600 instruction minutes, as well as 183 teacher contract days each year. That means the “requirements heavily constrain how days can be placed across the year.”
“The Task Force also had to make space for required professional learning for staff, schedule contingencies for bad-weather days, and avoid creating schedules that would force teachers and students to return extremely early in August (or end too early) in ways that create hardship for families and staff,” the district said.
What does this mean for families, staff
Students don’t have class, and staff has a day scheduled for “professional learning.”
“Teachers who wish to observe Good Friday (or any religious day) may request personal leave per district procedures; this is the consistent approach the district uses to balance employee religious observance and operational needs across diverse faiths,” the district said.
Furthermore, the district said the task force “intentionally included parents and staff from many backgrounds so the calendar reflects multiple perspectives — not the preference of a single group.”
What Texas Values says
Texas Values addressed AISD Superintendent Matias Segura in a letter Tuesday, saying in part “Austin ISD choosing to observe Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta day and not observing Good Friday, which is commonly a day that schools close in Texas, appears as if the school district is placing politics above a religious holiday.”
The nonprofit asked the district to edit its calendar “to restore Good Friday as a staff and student holiday.”
“The school district has time to correct this issue before the next semester when Good Friday will be observed,” the letter said.
AISD invites community participate
The district said the Calendar Task Force meets each year. If anyone would like to help craft future academic calendars, they can do so when the task force reconvenes in spring 2026 to work on the 2027-2028 academic calendar.
“We know no calendar can perfectly meet every individual need,” the district said.
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