New Jersey school district restores holiday names to calendar

MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. - Holidays are back on the school calendar in Randolph. The school board on Monday reversed a controversial decision to scrap holiday names after a big battle over Columbus Day. 

Tempers flared during the township's Board of Education meeting. Residents had demanded to be heard when earlier this month the board voted without public input to get rid of the names of all the school holidays on the school calendar. 

• New Jersey school district removes names of all holidays from school calendar

It all started a few months ago when the board voted to get rid of Christopher Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day. Italian Americans were upset so the board tried to appease everyone by taking every holiday off the school calendar. The board opted to call those "days off" instead.

• New Jersey school district to consider adding holiday names back to calendar

Canceling the names of the holidays didn't settle things. It only made residents here angrier. That led to Monday's meeting and vote. 

Residents said they hope bringing back the holiday names will also restore some peace to this quiet rural township.

• Outrage over NYC Public Schools dropping Columbus Day from calendar

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