School start change sought for Rosh Hashanah on 2021-22 calendar

Members of the Jewish community are asking the Eden Prairie School Board to revise the proposed 2021-22 school calendar because the first day of school falls on Rosh Hashanah, one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar.

The first day of school as proposed is Sept. 7. Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown Sept. 6 and ends at sundown on Sept. 8, according to Hebcal.com, a Jewish calendar and holiday website. Sept. 7 is considered the first full day of the holiday.

Social media posts indicate that some community members have communicated their concerns to board members. A request for comment from the initial poster on the Facebook site, Eden Prairie Bulletin Board, was not immediately returned.

Proponents of the change on social media emphasized that they are asking for a one-time adjustment only because the holiday falls on the first day of school, a day they say is important for children to attend school.

Rosh Hashanah falls on different dates each year. The holiday falls on Sept. 26-27, 2022; Sept. 16-17, 2023; and Oct. 3-4, 2024.

The draft 2021-2022 school calendar will be discussed by the school board at its Jan. 25 meeting, Eden Prairie Schools Senior Director of Communications and Community Relations Brett Johnson confirmed Tuesday.

The calendar is developed in consultation with staff groups and is in draft form, Johnson said.

The public is able to comment on the proposal at the Jan. 25 meeting, Johnson said. “Open forum is part of every regular meeting,” he said.

Community members who want to participate in the open forum need to sign up on the district’s website or at the Administrative Services Center before the meeting.

The final calendar is set to be part of Superintendent Josh Swanson’s consent agenda on Feb. 22, according to the school board’s work plan. The consent agenda typically does not allow for further questions or debate.