Free Republic

TAMPA -- More than 100 pleading, threatening and indignant e-mails have streamed into Hillsborough County School Board offices, some calling board members "gutless," "morons," and "a bunch of wimps." At issue is the board's vote to drop religious holidays from its school calendar, a decision that has drawn fire from national media, local officials and citizens. Hillsborough School Board members voted Oct. 25 to drop Yom Kippur and Good Friday from the 2006-07 school calendar, designating no religious holidays off except Christmas. Students may be absent on their religious holidays without penalty or restriction on the number of days.

FL: Schools May Drop Religious Holidays Melanie Ave, St Petersburg Times, 10/7/05 TAMPA - There may be no day off next school year for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Also on the chopping block are vacation days for the Christian faith's Good Friday and the Monday after Easter. After considering a request to recognize a Muslim school holiday, the Hillsborough County School Board next week will discuss ending student days off on all religious holidays, whether they be Christian, Jewish or Muslim. The only religious holiday not affected will be Christmas, which occurs during the school district's winter break....