The Fairfax County School board approved a motion on April 9 that would move Veterans Day from a holiday to a day of observance, while an identical motion for Indigenous Peoples Day failed. 

Veterans Day is now a “standard instructional day for students and staff,” where the school district will implement a district-wide “Veterans Day Observance-Curriculum” to inform those of the community in “observing the meaning of this day.” 

Since 1919, November 11 has been designated by the federal government as Veterans Day. (RELATED: Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Dead in Murder-Suicide) 

The motions we’re brought forth after “severe weather delays” and multiple holidays in the middle of the school week forced to be “more pressed to find child care when school was off than they were used to.”

As a result, the school board Tom Dannan decided to cap the number of holidays. 

“Given all this, I supported capping the number of Early Release days at the Elementary level, and I’m grateful for my colleague Mr. Moon for seconding my compromise amendment of 8 early release days per year for elementary schools,” Dannan wrote in a press release. 

“In that same vein, I voted against changing Indigenous People’s Day to an instructional day this year, and abstained on doing so for Veterans’ Day, though I’m open to changes as part of a broader discussion that is informed by data and community conversation,” Dannan added. 

In the same meeting, the school board approved several resolutions and proclamations to designate specific months of the year to certain group. (RELATED: )  

April has been designated as the Month of the Military Child, however, it has also been designated as Arab American Heritage Month. 

The school board also moved to designate April as the month of Autism Acceptance. (RELATED: Virginia Civil Rights Division Leadership Draws Scrutiny Over Past Federal Role.)