Burnsville High School notified students and families Wednesday that its graduation date will remain on June 6, despite religious conflicts for some students and their families.
Community members urged the school board last week to reschedule graduation as it coincides with Eid al-Adha, one of the two most important Islamic holidays, but after hearing from the community the June 6 ceremony will continue as planned, according to a note sent to students and families from ISD 191 Superintendent Theresa Battle and BHS Principal Jesús Sandoval.
“While our goal in planning an academic calendar is to avoid major conflicts, at this time it’s not feasible to change the date of graduation to avoid these conflicts. In addition, it’s not clear that adding a second graduation ceremony would result in many students participating who wouldn’t otherwise participate in a Friday ceremony,” read the note.
The decision, which was made by Battle in consultation with the school board, took into consideration the “difficulty in rescheduling services like photography and livestreaming the ceremony, and other logistical concerns,” said Aaron Tinklenberg, communications director for the district, in an email Thursday.
“It’s disappointing,” Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said of the decision, calling it “another unnecessary burden on Muslims.”
Hussein also noted that this scheduling conflict only affects one group of seniors as Eid will likely not fall near a graduation date for another 30+ years. “There is absolutely no requirement for them to hold (graduation) on June 6,” he said.
Eid al-Adha, the second of the two most important festivals in Islam, commemorates the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim. Generally a three-day celebration, the dates of Eid al-Adha vary based on moon sightings. This year it is expected to occur June 6 to June 10, according to Islamic Relief Worldwide, a faith-based development agency.
Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” with special prayers and by giving gifts and food to the poor. The other major festival, Eid al-Fitr, celebrating the end of Ramadan fasting, was observed at the end of March.
Second ceremony considered
At a listening session last week that preceded a school board meeting, community members spoke out against the planned graduation date.
“This issue isn’t just about ISD 191, it’s about who we are as a community,” said Salma Hussein, the principal of Gideon Pond Elementary School in Burnsville. “Rescheduling graduation to recognize Eid sends a powerful message that every student matters.”
Tinklenberg said Burnsville’s June 6 graduation date has been set for nearly two years and noted the district does not keep track of students’ religious identifications.
Tinklenberg said the district had heard from Muslim students and families “who preferred we kept graduation on June 6.”
Burnsville seniors were asked Monday if they’d be more likely to attend graduation if a second ceremony was scheduled on Monday, June 2. Of the roughly 200 responses, 76% said they’d be more likely to attend June 6 and 12% said June 2, Tinklenberg said.
ISD 191 serves about 8,000 students, 14% of whom speak Somali at home, the Sahan Journal reported in 2022. More than 99% of Somalia’s population are Sunni Muslim, according to a 2023 report from the U.S. State Department.
Eden Prairie rescheduled
Burnsville was not the first school to hear this particular concern.
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Eden Prairie Schools originally scheduled its graduation for June 7, but reconsidered after hearing similar concerns, as reported by Eden Prairie Local News, which also noted that an estimated 20% of Eden Prairie’s high school students are Muslim.
After sending out three alternate dates, Eden Prairie rescheduled its ceremony to June 4, which was chosen by 84% of seniors, according to the school.
“As we create future calendars, the district will continue to solicit input from a variety of sources with the goal of supporting equitable access and high participation among students for regular school days and major events like graduation,” the note to Burnsville families said.