LEWISTON — Members of the School Committee agreed Monday to reconsider removing two Jewish holidays from the school calendar.
During a discussion of future agenda items, Ward 6 representative Ronald Potvin said he misunderstood the motion recommended by Superintendent Jake Langlais at last week’s meeting and motioned to reconsider his vote.
The superintendent’s recommendation to remove Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, both Jewish holidays, from the school calendar passed 5-4 last week. Potvin voted to approve the superintendent’s motion and without his vote, it would not have passed.
Potvin explained that he believed the committee was voting to remove all of the recently added religious holidays from the school calendar, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Eid, a Muslim holiday approved earlier this year.
“It was never my intent” to remove religious holidays from one denomination, but not others, he said in a phone interview.
Potvin believes the school should only close for secular holidays, but make allowances for people who wish to be absent for religious reasons.
The committee voted 5-2 to allow Potvin to reconsider his vote. Chairwoman Megan Parks confirmed that a discussion regarding the holidays would take place at the Oct. 18 committee meeting.
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