Breaking! Austin ISD Removed Good Friday as a Staff/ Student Holiday, Texas Values Sends Letter
Austin, TX – October 21, 2025: This morning Texas Values sent a letter to Austin ISD addressing their choice to not observe and close schools on Good Friday in the 2025-2026 academic year. Instead of observing Good Friday, Austin ISD schools will be closed earlier in the week on a Tuesday in order to observe Caesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta Day. Students will have the Monday after Easter off but the school district is not officially closed and staff must work. The online calendar does not even have the words “Good Friday” noted on April 3.
Mary Elizabeth Castle, Director of Government Relations for Texas Values said:
“It appears that Austin ISD is trying to slight the religious holiday of Good Friday by denying the opportunity for staff and students to have the day off, which has been a very common practice in Austin ISD and other school districts in Texas. Many churches hold religious services on Good Friday and students and staff should be able to have the day off to attend or prepare for those events. Instead, students will be off in the middle of the week to celebrate political heroes Austin ISD has deemed important. They could celebrate both but their placement of Dolores Huerta over a commonly celebrated Christian holiday sends the message that they place political viewpoints over religious freedom.”
You can read the letter Texas Values sent to Austin ISD here.
Texas Values is asking the school district to amend their calendar and reinstate Good Friday as a staff and student holiday as it has been in the past school years. Texas Values believes that the school district still has the time and ability to edit and approve a new calendar for the Spring semester in 2026.
Texas Values policy team is available for comment. To schedule an interview, contact Ashley at media@txvalues.org or 737-314-2450 (c).
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About Texas Values
Texas Values is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.