Bridgeport schools will mark Juneteenth holiday
BRIDGEPORT — When Bridgeport families see next school year’s calendar, a new holiday will be marked in June.
The Bridgeport Board of Education voted on Monday to make Juneteenth a school holiday next year and going forward.
The move comes less than a week after President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday establishing the new federal holiday, and local families celebrated the emancipation of formerly enslaved people on Saturday.
Superintendent Michael Testani introduced the proposal to make June 19 a holiday at this week’s school board meeting.
“I think it’s important, given what’s happened nationally, that we be (one of) the first school district(s) here in the state of Connecticut that recognizes and adds to the calendar for the ’21-22 school year the holiday of Juneteenth,” he said.
“It may not impact the ending of the school year, depends on how many snow days we would have, but it should be recognized on our school calendar,” he added, referring to the fact that some school years will end before June 19.
Juneteenth recognizes June 19, 1865 when enslaved Black Texans were informed of their freedom — about two and a half years after after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the South.
The change is effective next school year and will be added to all local school calendars in perpetuity.
“I also think for the sake of the staff members who are 12-month employees, they would observe the holiday,” said Testani.
The district will observe the holiday in accordance with federal guidelines, likely on a Friday if it falls on a Saturday, and on a Monday if it falls on a Sunday.
“And I think it just needs to be there as families print out the new calendar, view the new calendar,” he added, “and students — they see it on the calendar. They understand that we recognize it here in the Bridgeport public schools.”
The motion to establish the holiday passed unanimously.