Austin, TX – October 23, 2025: Last night, KXAN reported that Austin ISD responded to the news story about removing Good Friday from the school calendar. Austin ISD doubles down and agrees that they made the decision for students to celebrate Caesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta instead of Good Friday. They claim that a small task force of only 30-40 people met to deliberate on this decision before the Austin ISD board approved the calendar. Austin ISD serves over 73,000 students. It does not appear that there was much opportunity for public input on the drafts.
Mary Elizabeth Castle, Director of Government Relations for Texas Values said:
“I am amused that the school district has admitted and standing solidly behind removing Good Friday from the academic calendar. Their response clearly shows that when presented the option to have Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day or Good Friday, they chose to eliminate Good Friday”.
As mentioned in the letter that Texas Values sent to Austin ISD, two large school districts (Ft. Worth ISD and Houston ISD) have found a way to have student and staff off to observe both holidays. Additionally, information from our source reveals that Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day was a non-negotiable holiday that the school prioritized having on the calendar. You can read the letter Texas Values sent to Austin ISD here.
Texas Values policy team is available for comment. To schedule an interview, contact Ashley at media@txvalues.org or 737-314-2450 (c).
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About Texas Values
Texas Values is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.