• A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools

• Favorite Holiday Poster Projects Aren't Inclusive (Learning for Justice, 12/11/2020)

• Guía De Los Padres Para La Religion En Las Escuelas Publicas

• JCPS Religious Observances Guide (2024-2025)

• A Teacher's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools

Note: Please check the following dates with the school/district calendar of events to ensure we are mindful of religious observances as we plan events for the school year.

As a public school district, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) must be neutral regarding religion, but this neutrality exists in tension with the JCPS District’s responsibility to be sensitive to the needs of individual students and their families so that no students are penalized because of their beliefs, including those who do not identify with a religion or consider themselves atheist or agnostic. This advisory describes general approaches and notes areas requiring particular attention and action. Below is a list of the most common religions in the district. The religions are listed in alphabetical order.

The district’s policy on absence for religious observances is as follows:

• Students absent for religious observances receive excused absences; they have the number of days they were absent, plus one, to make up work. Students may not be required to turn in make-up assignments on the day of their return after the observance; such a requirement would constitute the school’s interference with the religious observance.

• Please refer to the JCPS Student Support and Behavior Intervention Handbook and the Student Bill of Rights.

• Scheduling special events during the school day as well as after-school and evening activities requires sensitivity in order to avoid forcing students to choose between major school events and major religious events.

  • Consult the calendar. When are major religious holidays observed during the year? Talk with your school’s families. Who observes holidays that are not congruent with the civil calendar? Does the day begin at sundown or sunup? Are they Sabbath (no work/no school) holidays? Are there special dietary needs that School and Community Nutrition Services should consider? Are there times when field trips will be difficult because of students’ dietary needs or special religious responsibilities?

  • Plan around these dates when scheduling one-time events that cannot be made up (e.g., Open House, homecoming, graduation, major tests, reviews for major tests, introducing new material or skills if no make-up is feasible—any major event that will put absent students at a disadvantage). Some coaches choose to avoid scheduling athletic events on days that team members will be absent for religious observances.

  • When planning weekend events, assess the feasibility of scheduling some events on Sunday so that all groups share the responsibility for being flexible and understanding.

  • Give attention to the patterns of children’s participation in evening religious activities. Consider creating a flexible homework schedule so that students don’t have major homework on the evenings that they worship until 8 or 9 p.m.

• As our community becomes more diverse, paying attention to food choices becomes more important. We now have many people who eat no meat, so the need for alternatives is becoming the rule rather than the exception. The School and Community Nutrition Services director will assist your cafeteria manager in identifying appropriate alternative selections.

• Talk with parents! Keep in mind that families’ expectations are not uniform—even within the same group. Ongoing, open conversation with members of your school community is critical to addressing religion appropriately in our diverse district.

• Use the district’s resources for assistance in addressing issues concerning religion and the public schools. For more information, please call Dr. Lawanda Hazard, JCPS Diversity/Multicultural Education Specialist, at (502) 485-7269.