The district approved the change when it approved its calendars for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years last December.
AUSTIN, Texas — A religious nonprofit organization is pushing back against Austin ISD over its decision to keep schools open on Good Friday.
Texas Values sent a letter to the district’s board and Superintendent Matias Segura, asking that the district bring Good Friday back as a student holiday.
AISD approved the change when it approved its calendars for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years last December. Instead of taking off on April 3, 2026, students and staff will get March 31 off for Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta Day. AISD has recognized that holiday since 2019.
During the 2024-25 school year, AISD students had Good Friday off on April 18, and it was a staff development day.
In a statement, Mary Elizabeth Castle, the director of Government Relations for Texas Values, said:
“It appears that Austin ISD is trying to slight the religious holiday of Good Friday by denying the opportunity for staff and students to have the day off, which has been a very common practice in Austin ISD and other school districts in Texas. Many churches hold religious services on Good Friday and students and staff should be able to have the day off to attend or prepare for those events. Instead, students will be off in the middle of the week to celebrate political heroes Austin ISD has deemed important. They could celebrate both but their placement of Dolores Huerta over a commonly celebrated Christian holiday sends the message that they place political viewpoints over religious freedom.”
KVUE has reached out to AISD for a response to the Texas Values letter. This article will be updated if we hear back.