Students in District 71 should be able to observe Ramadan, Eid, and other sincerely held religious practices across faiths without pressure, stigma, or having to publicly advocate for their religious needs. We are asking the Board of Education to adopt a clear, privacy-protecting Ramadan accommodations plan, and a general religious accommodation plan, so students can practice their faith with dignity and staff have clear guidance on how to support them. 

3/23 NOTE: This should take the form of a religious accommodations plan to ensure consistency for all faiths. This matters not only for Muslim students observing Ramadan and Eid, but as part of a broader expectation that the district proactively and respectfully accommodates students’ religious practices and observances across faith communities.

No student should feel pressured to choose between their faith and participating in school.

Students observing Ramadan, Eid, or any other religious practice, in District 71 are protected under federal and Illinois law in their religious observance. Public schools may not discriminate against students because of religion, may not stigmatize or publicly single out students for practicing their faith, and must respond meaningfully when concerns are raised. A clear, privacy-protecting accommodations plan helps the district meet those obligations while giving families and staff consistent guidance.

Families have been asking District 71 administration and leadership to adopt a clear, privacy-protecting Ramadan & Eid accommodations process so students can observe their faith with dignity and staff have clear guidance on how to support them.

When accommodations are informal or unclear, Muslim students observing Ramadan and Eid can be placed in uncomfortable, inconsistent, isolating, and unfair situations, such as being publicly identified as fasting or feeling pressured to participate in physical activities that conflict with their religious observance.

A proactive, consistent approach benefits students, families, and staff by creating clear expectations, reducing confusion, and preventing avoidable harm.

We respectfully ask the District 71 Board of Education to adopt a clear, schoolwide Ramadan and Eid accommodations process that protects student privacy and ensures consistent implementation across classrooms, lunch/recess supervision, and Physical Education.

3/23 NOTE: At the same time, we want District 71 to take this opportunity to adopt a clear, schoolwide religious accommodations process for all religious observances. 

3/23 NOTE:  The only written communication families received from the district was a general statement that it would “do our best to provide appropriate accommodations” and that parents should reach out to teachers for class-time needs or administrators for needs outside of class. That is not a clear plan.

Teachers were not able to provide answers and often referred parents back to administration. In turn, administration continued to respond that it was “working on a plan” or that “there is a plan,” without providing any clear, actionable guidance to the parents in advance or during the 30 days, no matter how many times we asked.

More than 30 days passed without families receiving clear communication about what that plan was or what rights students could exercise. Ramadan passed and Eid passed, and even the limited communication that eventually went out remained vague and lacked specifics. In practice, "expectations", not accommodations, were not implemented consistently, including within Physical Education expectations created by the teachers instead of the ones requested by the parents.

At the same time, IAR testing was scheduled during the final week of Ramadan. The district determines the IAR testing window and has flexibility through April 17 to complete testing. Ramadan and Eid dates, while based on a lunar calendar, are known within a reasonable 2-day range at the start of the school year. This means the district had the opportunity to plan ahead or, at minimum, clearly communicate expectations in advance, including how missed exams would be handled.

Instead, families received late and unclear communication, leaving them to navigate logistics on their own. It took repeated follow-ups from a parent for the district to confirm that students would be able to make up state testing. That communication was sent just three days before Eid, leaving families little to no ability to plan travel to be with extended family. Even then, key details, including the timeframe for completing make-up testing, were not clearly communicated.

This highlights exactly why a proactive, consistent, and clearly communicated plan is needed.

Specifically, we are asking District 71 to implement the following:

1. Annual parent-facing accommodations notice

A schoolwide communication sent to families at least 7 to 10 days before Ramadan, Eid, and other religious observances, outlining available accommodations and clear, consistent procedures to request them, including prayer space, lunch, and Physical Education expectations. A clear, neutral, and consistent approach ensures fairness across all faiths.

3/23 NOTE: A designated, low-profile prayer space and simple process for students of all faiths, who wish to pray during the school day, without drawing attention to them or forcing them to repeatedly ask in the moment. 

3/23 NOTE: This is not limited to Ramadan. This applies to all students with sincerely held religious practices, including but not limited to:
 • Ramadan and Eid
 • Lent and Ash Wednesday
 • Orthodox Easter and other non-aligned holidays
 • Jewish holidays such as Yom Kippur or Passover
 • other faith-based observances that do not align with the standard school calendar

2. Standardized private accommodation process

A simple parent-completed opt-in Google Form or administration-managed list, similar to practices used in other nearby schools, so students are not required to publicly identify themselves as fasting or repeatedly self-advocate in front of peers.

3. Written Physical Education accommodation protocol

Clear written guidance stating that when a parent or fasting student indicates they cannot participate due to fasting, the student may sit out or pause without pressure, debate, sarcasm, or coercive language.

The protocol should also outline optional intensity-modification choices for students who choose to participate, while still preserving the option to pause or sit out if needed.

3/23 NOTE: A child fasting for Ramadan and asking to sit out should not be treated any differently than a child who reports not feeling well for any other reason.

4. Staff training and implementation guidance consistently across the school

Clear staff direction on:

• appropriate and inappropriate language
• how to implement accommodations respectfully
• how to respond to questions or uncertainty
• escalation and support paths

5. Written implementation and accountability measures

Documentation confirming implementation, including:

• the written staff guidance issued
• the date it was distributed
• the administrative owner responsible for implementation
• the method used to monitor compliance during Ramadan

District 71 serves a highly diverse student population. In a school community with that level of diversity, religious accommodations should be consistent, proactive, and respectful, rather than leaving families and teachers to navigate the process individually each year.

This matters not only for Muslim students observing Ramadan and Eid, but as part of a broader expectation that the district proactively and respectfully accommodates students’ religious practices and observances across faith communities.

We respectfully ask the District 71 Board of Education to adopt these measures and ensure clear communication to families and staff in advance of Ramadan, Eid, and other religious observances, so all students can feel respected, supported, and included in their school community.

You do not need to be Muslim to support this petition. 

Please sign and share this petition if you believe every student deserves a fair, respectful, and consistent accommodation process.