The School Board of Polk County
Bylaws & Policies
Unless a specific policy has been amended and the date the policy was revised is noted at the bottom of that policy, the bylaws and policies of The School Board of Polk County were adopted on November 12, 2013 and were in effect beginning November 12, 2013.
 

5225 - ABSENCES FOR RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

It is the policy of the School Board that absences from school for observance of a religious holiday or because the tenets of a student's religion forbid secular activity during a school day or portion thereof shall be excused subject to compliance with this policy.

Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the following are religious holidays for which student absence will be excused:

 A.In August
  1.Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus
  2.Lammas
  3.Raksha Bandhan
  4.Transfiguration of the Lord
  5.Beheading of John the Baptist
  6.Eid al Adha
  7.Dormition of the Theotokos
  8.Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  9.Lughnassad - Imbolc
 B.In September
  1.Religious Year begins
  2.Krishna Janmashtami
  3.Nativity of Virgin Mary
  4.The Elevation of the Life Giving Holy Cross
  5.Paryushana Parva
  6.Rosh Hashanah
  7.Ganesha Chaturthi

  8.Ashura
  9.Mabon - Ostara
  10.Yom Kippur
  11.New Year - Hijra
  12.Sukkot
  13.Meskel
  14.Michael and all Angels
 C.In October
  1.Saint Francis Day
  2.St. Luke, Apostle & Evangelist
  3.Navaratri
  4.Blessing of the Animals
  5.Simchat Torah
  6.Dasara
  7.Birth of B'ab
  8.Installation of the Scriptures of Guru Granth
  9.Thanksgiving - Canada
  10.Reformation Day
  11.Milvian Bridge Day
  12.All Hallows Eve
  13.Shemini Atzeret
 D.In November
  1.All Saints' Day
  2.All Souls' Day
  3.Birth of Baha'u'llah
  4.Samhain-Beltane
  5.Advent/Nativity Feast
  6.Christ the King
  7.Diwali
  8.Day of Covenant
  9.Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Birthday
  10.Jain New Year
  11.Thanksgiving
  12.Vikram New Year
  13.Mawlid an Nabi
  14.Saint Andrew's Day
  15.Ascension of 'Abdu'l Baha
 E.In December
  1.Advent
  2.Bodhi Day (Rohatsu)
  3.Immaculate Conception of Mary
  4.Hanukkah
  5.Yule/Litha
  6.Christmas
  7.Feast of the Holy Family
  8.Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra)
  9.Saint Nicholas Day
  10.Saint Thomas the Apostle
  11.Yule
  12.Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
  13.Posada Navidenas
  14.Christmas Eve
  15.Holy Innocents
  16.Watch Night

  17.Feast of the Nativity
  18.St. Stephen’s Day
 F.In January
  1.Gantan-sai
  2.Guru Gobind Singh

  3.Epiphany
  4.Feast of Epiphany (Theophany)
  5.Nativity of Christ
  6.Mary, Mother of God
  7.Feast of the Nativity
  8.Maghi
  9.Feast Day of St. Basil
  10.World Religion Day
  11.Tu B'shvat
  12.Twelfth Night
  13.Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day)
  14.Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
  15.Baptism of the Lord Jesus
  16.Blessing of the Animals
  17.Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
  18.Timkat
  19.Mahayana New Year
  20.Conversion of St. Paul
  21.Feast of the Holy Family
 G.In February
  1.Saint Brighid of Kildare
  2.Imbolic/Lughnassad
  3.Candlemas - Presentation of Christ in the Temple
  4.Chinese New Year
  5.Setsebun-sai (beginning of spring)
  6.Four Chaplains Sunday
  7.Nirvana Day
  8.Intercalary Days
  9.Cheesefare Sunday
  10.Saint Blaze Day
  11.Nineteen Day Feast
  12.Triodion
  13.St. Valentine's Day
 H.In March
  1.St. David of Wales
  2.Nineteen Day Fast
  3.Meatfare Sunday
  4.Transfiguration Sunday
  5.Shrove Tuesday
  6.Ash Wednesday
  7.Orthodox Sunday
  8.Ostara - Mabon
  9.Lord's Evening Meal
  10.Purim
  11.Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  12.Khordad Sal
 I.In April
  1.Easter
  2.Palm Sunday
  3.Pascha - Easter
  4.Baisakhi (Vaisakhi)
  5.Orthodox Sunday
  6.Saint George's Day
  7.Mahavir Jayanti
  8.First Day of Ridvan
  9.Holy Friday
  10.Saint James the Great Day
  11.Laylat al Miraj
  12.Theravadin New Year
  13.Ninth Day of Ridvan
  14.Maundy Thursday
  15.Good Friday
  16.Pesach
  17.Lazarus Saturday
  18.Lailat al Bara'ah
  19.Palm Sunday
 J.In May
  1.Beltane/Samhain
  2.Last Day of Ridvan
  3.Saints Philip & James
  4.Yom HaShoah
  5.National Day of Prayer
  6.Ramadan begins
  7.Ascension of Baha'u'llah
  8.Ascension of Jesus
 K.In June
  1.Lailat al Kadr
  2.Ascension of Jesus
  3.Guru Arjan martyrdom
  4.Litha - Yule
  5.Trinity Sunday
  6.Eid al Fitr – Ramadan ends
  7.Sacred Heart of Jesus
  8.Saint Columba of Iona
  9.Saint Vladimir Day
  10.New Church Day
  11.First Nations Day
  12.All Saints
  13.Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul
  14.Corpus Christi
  15.Pentecost

*Some dates may vary due to the lunar, Gregorian, and Julian calendars.

Periodically, the Superintendent shall review the list of approved religious holidays and recommend revisions to the Board as needed.

The Superintendent shall establish procedures and time limits to be observed:

 A.by students, teachers, and administrators in making available to each student, so excused, an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work assignment which has been missed;
 B.by a student's parent(s) or guardian when giving not more than five (5) days prior notice of the student's intended absence; and
 C.when giving affected students and parents an opportunity to be heard in connection with the decision not to excuse an absence on a day or portion thereof which is not included in the above list of religious holidays.

F.S. 1003.21
F.A.C. 6A-1.09514

Revised 7/26/16
Revised 1/23/18
Revised 11/13/18

© Neola 2017