Texas Values urges Austin ISD to reinstate Good Friday holiday and drop Cesar Chavez observance
Dispute centers on 2025-26 calendar swap and how the district schedules spring instructional time
Austin Independent School District’s decision to treat Easter Monday as a staff development day in 2025-26—rather than closing schools on Good Friday—has prompted renewed pressure from Texas Values, a conservative advocacy group that argues the district should restore Good Friday as a student holiday and remove Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day from the calendar.
The 2025-26 calendar was approved by the Austin ISD Board of Trustees in December 2024 as part of the district’s calendar-planning process. District materials also show trustees approved the 2026-27 calendar at the same time. In the 2025-26 school year, the calendar includes a day off tied to Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta; Good Friday is not listed as a student holiday. In the 2026-27 calendar, Good Friday appears as a student holiday.
Texas Values has framed the issue as a choice between recognition of a widely observed Christian holy day and a commemorative day associated with labor leaders. The organization has also publicly characterized Good Friday as a common school-closure day in Texas, and has called the 2025-26 calendar decision political.
Austin ISD has said the 2025-26 calendar reflected recommendations and deliberations that were part of its adoption process, including feedback routed through leadership channels and board action. The district has also pointed to its calendar task force framework, which is designed to recommend instructionally sound calendars aligned with district priorities.
The dispute highlights a recurring challenge for large districts: balancing instructional minutes, staff development needs, cultural and religious observances, and family expectations in a single calendar.
The practical effect for families is a shift in when school buildings are closed in late March and early April 2026. Under the adopted 2025-26 calendar, students have a holiday for Cesar Chavez/Dolores Huerta Day and staff have a professional development day on Easter Monday, while Good Friday falls on a regular instructional day.
Austin ISD’s 2025-26 school year begins Aug. 19, 2025, and ends May 28, 2026.
The district’s 2026-27 calendar includes Good Friday as a student holiday.
In the broader context, Cesar Chavez Day is recognized in several states, and Texas has treated it as an optional holiday in state government settings. At the same time, districts vary widely in whether they close on Good Friday, often depending on attendance patterns, staffing considerations, and local community preference.
Austin ISD’s next opportunity to revisit calendar design elements will come through future calendar-planning cycles and board action, with community participation typically routed through the district’s task force process before a final vote by trustees.