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2336 - Holidays and Civic Observances

Policy 2336

PURPOSE: This policy supports Tacoma Public Schools’ goal of acknowledging state holidays and legislatively recognized civic observances required under the guidelines of Washington State and Federal law. Civic observances are not considered legal holidays; however, these will be acknowledged by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of each month. The District will continually monitor and update the civic observances as needed each year.

State Holidays

As required by state law, codified in RCW 28A.150.050 and RCW 1.16.050, the District shall observe the following state legal holidays and shall not operate on the following days:

·         Sunday;

·         The first day of January (New Year's Day);

·         The third Monday of January (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day);

·         The third Monday of February (Presidents' Day),

·         The last Monday of May (Memorial Day);

·         The nineteenth day of June (Juneteenth);

·         The fourth day of July, (Independence Day);

·         The first Monday in September, (Labor Day);

·         The eleventh day of November, (Veterans' Day);

·         The fourth Thursday in November, (Thanksgiving Day);

·         The Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in November, (Native American Heritage Day); and

·         The twenty-fifth day of December, (Christmas Day).

 

In addition to the above school holidays, the following shall also be considered to be District paid holidays unless otherwise determined by an applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement: the Wednesday immediately before Thanksgiving Day, the day before Christmas/Christmas Eve (December 24), and the day before New Year’s Day/New Year’s Eve (December 31).

The Superintendent may also annually identify certain days as non-work/non-paid days if doing so is necessary to balance the work calendar of exempt employees and administrative staff to reflect the correct number of working days.

 

State Civic Observances

As required by RCW 28A.230.160, principals shall be responsible for the preparation and presentation of educational activities of approximately sixty minutes in duration in observance of Veterans’ Day. The program shall be conducted during the school week preceding the eleventh day of November of each year.

As required by RCW 28A.230.170, Constitution and Citizenship Day shall be observed each year on September 17th in commemoration of the September 17, 1787 signing of the United States Constitution.  If September 17th occurs on a non-school day, Constitution Day shall be conducted on the preceding Friday.

As required by RCW 28A.230.150, Temperance and Good Citizenship Day shall be observed on January 16, or, if on a non-school day, the Friday preceding January 16. On that day, school districts are encouraged to discuss temperance in connection with good citizenship, specifically addressing self-restraint, and to provide eligible students with the opportunity to register to vote.

As required by RCW 28A.230.158, Disability History Month will be observed during the month of October by conducting or promoting educational activities such as school assemblies or guest speaker presentations that provide instruction, awareness and understanding of disability history and people with disabilities.

In addition to legally required observances, the Board of Directors may also acknowledge those legislatively recognized civil observances under Washington State or Federal law which directly align with the District’s Strategic Plan.  Acknowledgment may include recognition at a Board of Directors Business Meeting, identification of resources for classroom observances and placement on District calendars.

 

Legal References:        

RCW 1.16.050             Legal Holidays and Legislatively Recognized Days

36 U.S.C. Chapter 1      Patriotic and National Observances

36 U.S.C. 106               Constitution and Citizenship Day (September 17)

36 U.S.C. 126              National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15)

RCW 28A.230.158       Disability history month (October)

RCW 43.117.120          Filipino American history month (October)

36 U.S.C. 105              Child Health Day (1st Monday in October)

RCW 1.16.050(f)          Washington State Children’s Day (2nd Sunday in October)

36 U.S.C. 132              National School Lunch Week (Week beginning 2nd Sunday in October)

RCW    28A.230.160    Programs in observance of Veterans’ Day (November 11)

RCW 28A.230.150       Temperance and Good Citizen­ship Day (January 16 or preceding Friday)

RCW 1.16.050(m)        Human Trafficking Awareness Day (January 11)

RCW 1.16.050(a)         Korean-American Day (January 13)

Proclamation 5443        Black History Month (February)

RCW 28A.230.178       Civil Rights Education (February)

RCW 28A.300.405       Civil Liberties Education (February)

RCW 1.16.050(k)         Civil Liberties Day of Remembrance (February 19)

RCW 1.16.050(n)         Cesar Chavez day (March 31)

RCW 1.16.050(o)         Dolores Huerta day (April 10)

RCW 1.16.050(g)         Mother Joseph day (April 16)

RCW 43.117.110          Asian Pacific American heritage month (May)

RCW 43.114.070          LGBTQ pride month (June)

 

Cross Reference:                     

28A.150.050                School Holidays


Adoption Date: 10/12/2006

Revised Date: 12/08/2022