AB 3042: School holidays: “International Workers’ Day” and “Presidents’ Day.”

Existing law designates holidays on which all public schools and educational institutions shall close. Existing law designates the Monday or Friday of the week in which February 12 occurs as Lincoln Day and requires all public schools and educational institutions throughout the state to hold exercises in memory of Abraham Lincoln on the day that school is in session prior to the day on which schools are closed for that purpose. Existing law designates the third Monday in February as Washington Day and requires all public schools and educational institutions throughout the state to hold exercises in memory of George Washington on the Friday preceding.

This bill would authorize a school district, county office of education, or charter school, instead of observing Washington Day and Lincoln Day as separate school holidays, to designate the 3rd Monday in February as a single school holiday to be known as Presidents Day, if the school district, county office of education, or charter school designates May 1 as International Workers Day and closes its school, or schools, as applicable, on the Monday or Friday of the week in which May 1 occurs to observe International Workers Day. The bill would require schools that elect to observe Presidents Day and International Workers Day, pursuant to the bills provisions, to hold exercises in memory of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and to commemorate and direct attention to the history of labor movements in the United States.