Backlash after Michigan school count day falls on Yom Kippur
(CBS DETROIT) - "It is a problem and it is unfortunate," said Rabbi Aaron Starr, the leader of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
The Jewish community leader is responding to a scheduling conflict with the Michigan Department of Education's mandatory student count day, which falls on the same day of Yom Kippur this year.
"I certainly don't think the state of Michigan intentionally scheduled count day on Yom Kippur as some terrible act of anti-Semitism, I do think it was an unfortunate and avoidable error," Starr said.
"Yom Kippur is a biblical holiday, it's called the day of atonement, it's really our holiest day of the year, our Sabbath of Sabbaths, so it's customary to spend tonight and tomorrow in the synagogue with prayer and reflection," he added.
Because of the importance of the Jewish holiday, Starr said it's very likely Jewish students will stay home from school and schools may miss out on funding because of the scheduling conflict.
Student count day is mandated by the State School Aid Act, which counts students on the first Wednesday in October of every school year. It accounts for roughly 90% of the funding public schools in Michigan receive.
For every student accounted for, schools receive $9,150 for the fiscal school year.
Some schools, including Ann Arbor Public Schools, requested a count day waiver, however, Ann Arbor schools were denied the waiver because they are still holding class on Wednesday October 5.
However, Bloomfield and West Bloomfield Schools' waivers were approved because both of those districts canceled classes on count day.
According to the Department of Education's website, there is no provision that allows waivers for schools that still have class on count day.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Ann Arbor schools superintendent Jeanice Swift penned a letter to the State Board of Education pleading that they change the law in order to avoid similar scheduling conflicts in the future and allow students who are absent on Yom Kippur to be counted for necessary funding.
Washtenaw and Oakland counties have the largest Jewish communities in Metro Detroit.
"Our holidays are affixed according to the lunar cycle, but they are also adjusted according to the solar calendar... so it's (Yom Kippur) always the same time of year according to the Jewish calendar, but that means it's not always the same date according to the solar calendar," Starr said.
Unfortunately, Yom Kippur happened to fall on the same day as student count day this year.
Starr said he wishes there was an easier way to solve the issue in order to avoid confusion.
"I would hope there is an easy fix for this, I would hope they would, maybe in the spirit of the season (Yom Kippur) recognize the errors of their ways and try to fix their errors," he said.