BY CHRISTINE WOLFF
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MONTGOMERY -- Residents of the Sycamore school district asked the school board again Wednesday to reconsider its decision to close schools on the Jewish High Holy Days.
An attorney representing a group of parents calling themselves "Parents for Fairness in Sycamore," said his review of the situation determined the board was acting unfairly.
"I concluded . . . there is some favoritism going on, on part of the board, and if that view is correct, it is illegal," said attorney Steven Stuhlbarg. "My group seeks to create some peace. Please reconsider. It is not fair to put residents in the position of splitting loyalty to the school district and the Constitution."
The board took no action Wednesday. The calendar change -- a two-year pilot launched this school year that closes Sycamore's seven schools on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur -- next will be studied by the district's planning commission.
The board voted last spring to close on the Jewish holy days, saying that high absenteeism on those days diminished the school day's quality. Superintendent Bruce Armstrong said Wednesday that Sycamore's absentee rate last year on Rosh Hashanah was 14.7 percent.
The board agreed last month to allow further study by the planning commission after residents protested, including members of the Islamic and Hindu faiths who asked that the board recognize all minority religions' holidays or none at all.
The calendar will not be changed for this school year. Sycamore schools will be closed next Monday for Rosh Hashanah and Sept. 30 for Yom Kippur.
The parents' group wants the board to "reconsider this decision now for next year," Mr. Stuhlbarg said.
Shakila Ahmad, a parent, told the board that school should remain open for the children who are not honoring the Jewish holy days. "I have the utmost confidence in the educators at Sycamore. They will determine whether it's a quality education day," she said. "The students are being asked to stay at home at a critical time."
Sycamore began its school year two days earlier this August to make up for closing on the Jewish holy days.
