Board Policy 5200, which is aligned with Ohio Revised Code 3320.04, permits students to use three (3) school days per year for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief systems. Below is the section of Board Policy 5200 which outlines the procedures for utilizing these days, along with a non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays, festivals, and religious observations published by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. For questions about this policy, please email feedback@bataviaschools.org

Religious Expression Days (From Board Policy 5200)

The Principal will approve up to three (3) religious expression days per school year after receiving a written request from the student's parent or guardian. Religious expression days may be used to take holidays for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system or participate in organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or other religious or spiritual organization. Students who are absent on approved religious expression days will not face any academic penalties and will be provided with academic accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements that are missed.

To receive accommodations for religious expression days, parents or guardians must submit written requests to the Principal within fourteen (14) days after the start of the school year or fourteen (14) days after a student is enrolled in the District. The requests must specify the religious expression day(s) to be approved. The Principal will approve the days without inquiring into the sincerity of a student's religious or spiritual belief system. However, the Principal may verify the authenticity of a request by contacting the parent or guardian to confirm they signed it. The Principal may deny the request for religious expression days if the parent or guardian indicates that the signature is not authentic. Once the days have been approved, the Principal will ensure that each teacher schedules a time and date for alternative examinations or other academic requirements that conflict with the student's absence. Students may participate in interscholastic athletics or other extracurricular activities on days in which the student is absent for religious expression.

The District has adopted the following procedure for a student, parent, or guardian to notify the District of any grievance with regard to the implementation of this policy. A grievance must be submitted in writing to the Superintendent. The Superintendent will review the grievance and issue a written determination of whether the policy has been violated. The decision of the Superintendent is final and not subject to further appeal.

The District will notify parents and guardians annually about this policy and the procedures that they must follow to request accommodations for religious expression days.

The policy will be placed in a prominent location on the District's website and will include the contact information for an individual who can provide further information about the policy. The District will also publish a non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays, festivals, and religious observations as published by the State Superintendent for which an absence will not be unreasonably withheld or denied. The list will be provided whenever the policy is posted, printed, or distributed, and will be accompanied by a statement that declares the list is non-exhaustive and may not be used to deny accommodations to a student for a holiday, festival, or observation that is not included in the list. Nothing in this policy, and no inclusion or exclusion of a religious holiday or festival on the list posted by a District, shall preclude a student from full and reasonable accommodations for any sincerely held religious beliefs and practices with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements and absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system.

Non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays, festivals, and religious observations (2025-2026)

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 22-24, 2025

Yom Kippur Oct. 1-2, 2025

Diwali Oct. 20-21, 2025

Hanukkah Dec. 21-29, 2025

Ramadan Feb. 17 - March 18, 2026

Ash Wednesday Feb. 18, 2026

Eid al-Fitr March 19-20, 2026

Pesach (Passover) April 1-9, 2026

Good Friday April 3, 2026

Easter April 5, 2026

Eid al-Adha May 26-27, 2026

Revised 7/8/2025