Here's a question you should ask your child if they live in one of the cities where students have to go to school on Columbus Day, “If Columbus Day is a federal holiday, why do I have to go to school?” ” It is actually a good question as there are many people who wonder why some schools are open while others are closed on Columbus Day. (The holiday is celebrated on Monday, October 14 in 2024, and on the second Monday of October each year)
Columbus Day is one of those holidays that confuses a lot of people because what's open and closed doesn't really match up with other federal holidays. In most cases, if there is a federal holiday, not only do federal employees get a day off, but so do state and other public employees. On federal holidays such as Veterans Day and Memorial Day, with rare exceptions, all schools are closed. That's not the case when it comes to Columbus Day, so it makes sense for people to wonder why this holiday is treated differently than other federal holidays at the local and state level.
Whether your school is open or closed on Columbus Day depends a lot on where you live. Although many schools across the country still celebrate the second Monday in October as a holiday, more and more are no longer celebrating it. The important reason here is that you don't have to.
A public holiday means that non-essential federal workers have the day off, but there is no law that says offices and local governments and workers get the same benefit. This is why you will find that some schools will have a regular day of classes on Columbus Day even though it is a federal holiday.
In fact, there are several states that do not observe Columbus Day at all. This does not mean that schools will be open or not on that day. For example, while California does not observe a holiday at all, all state and local government offices remain open on that day including schools. On the other hand, although South Dakota does not observe Columbus Day, the state has renamed the day “Native American Day,” a national holiday, closing all state government offices and schools.
It can be even more difficult. While some states celebrate this holiday, some local city governments in those states have substituted another holiday instead. For example, Berkeley (CA), Sebastopol (CA), Santa Cruz (CA), Dane County (WI), Minneapolis (MN) and Seattle (WA) have all replaced Columbus Day with Of Indigenous Peoples.
Until now, the decision of whether a school district would keep schools open or closed on Columbus Day varied without a set rule. For those wondering if your local schools will be open or closed for the day, the best course of action is to contact the school directly to get an answer.
(Photo courtesy of Bob Hall)
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