Diwali – the Missing School Holiday

Setting school holidays has traditionally been a local matter, but at least one legislator, Senate candidate Shawn Dooley, thinks the process could be helped by clarifying state laws.

About a year ago, prominent local Indian-American, KP Sompally (a former member of the Design Review Commission and a former candidate for Town Council), took advantage of the public comment period at a School Committee meeting to make a well-reasoned and passionate pitch for adding the Indian holiday, Diwali, to the school calendar.

Despite many examples of communities in the region, and beyond, such as Newark, NJ, and Andover, MA that have embraced this globally important date (celebrated this year on Oct. 24), the response from the School Committee was deafening silence.

Although frustrated, Sompally remains undaunted. He is not alone in hoping for future change of heart. Balaj Biraly, a parent with a daughter at Franklin High says the absence of the major community holiday hurts but change is in the air. “Families and friends look forward to being together for Diwali but the demands of the school schedule have so far made that impossible,” he said.

State Rep. Shawn Dooley, currently running to represent Franklin in the State Senate, says he has heard similar frustration across the district and he proposes to do something about it.

Balancing Act

Pushpalatha Jangareddi, also active in the local Indian community and a member of the Franklin Cultural Council, agrees that that most local Indian families would be overjoyed to be able to come together to celebrate the Diwali Holiday. However, she also acknowledged that there are challenges for a school committee like Franklin’s that must ensure state minimum school days are met while accommodating pressure to allow many different kinds of holidays.

Here, Dooley says legislation could provide guidance for local boards without undermining local initiative. “If I am fortunate enough to win this critical election to the State Senate, I will promptly introduce legislation to mark Diwali as a state holiday,” he said. That step would put local school boards in a better position to then choose to implement it for their schools,” he said. It wouldn’t be a matter of bringing something still unfamiliar to many into existence town-by town, he said.

Others Have Succeeded

In Massachusetts, Hopkinton, Andover, Framingham, Sharon, and Westborough have made Diwali an observed holiday. Others are reportedly considering the same step. And within Franklin, the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (BFCCPS) has also made that decision.

“I think it is also important to mention that this came about by a petition that was circulated by a student at BFCCPS in 7th grade last year,” explained Executive Director Heather Zolnowski. “The petition was signed by over 100 students, faculty and staff in support of having the opportunity to spend Diwali with their families,” she added. Unfortunately, it was presented after the 2021-2022 calendar had been set. So, the interim year will provide time to prepare. “In the meantime, we are also excited for our Community Diwali celebration, planned by our ELPAC [English Learner Parent Advisory Council] families and supported by a Franklin Cultural Council grant,” she said. According to Zolnowski, community members from BFCCPS, Franklin, and surrounding communities attend the celebration next weekend, she noted.

That example convinces Dooley that the time is now to open a door for Diwali. “This is a day we should all be able to celebrate together as a community; it is about light overcoming darkness and good defeating evil,” he continued. “That is a powerful message everyone can appreciate,” he said.