EAST GREENBUSH – The parents of some East Greenbush Central School District students are upset that the district this year dropped the most important Jewish holiday from its calendar.

For at least a decade, the district has given students and staff the day off for Yom Kippur. However, according to the 2012 school calendar, the holiest day in the Jewish year, which this year falls on Wednesday, Sept. 26, is a regular school day.

"I feel their decision was not well thought out, certainly not openly discussed, and disrespectful of the Jewish residents, both families and teachers in the district," said Margo Singer, who is Jewish and has a daughter in high school. "While this particular decision may not be discrimination, it could be perceived as such, and that's my point."

During Wednesday night's Board of Education meeting, Cathy Cafarella-Huttner of Castleton urged the board to "explore more appropriate options."

"To me, it's a troubling choice the district has made to solve the problem on the backs of a minority," said Cafarella-Huttner, who is Catholic and had two children pass through the district.

Wendy Neifeld Wheeler said the district has forced her two children make a tough choice that they perhaps wouldn't have to if there was a Jew on the panel.

"My children don't know what to do and are trying to understand whether they should be in school for their academic studies or in synagogue," said Neifeld Wheeler.

Barry Davis, who is also Jewish, called the board's decision "insulting" and said Jewish students will be penalized because they will miss "instructional time" that they will have to make up.

School Board President Shay Harrison countered that there is no local or state law requiring school districts to give students religious holidays off and that doing so for Jews could in the future lead to similar requests from other religious groups. He also noted that the district is contractually obligated to provide 182 teaching days, which is more than in some other districts.

The board president also said East Greenbush allows for two days off for Passover and two for the Christian religious observances of Good Friday and Easter, amounting to what he described as a "zero sum gain," a reference that caused to an audible reaction from Singer and others in the crowd.

Afterward, Singer expressed outrage at some of Harrison's remarks while Cafarella-Huttner said the board is going down a "morally slippery slope."

Capital Region school districts have made strides in the past decade to accommodate Jewish holiday and some allow students or staff to take off Muslim holidays, though the schools don't close.

Shelly Shapiro, director of community relations for the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, said, "Our Federation role is to help all school districts be sensitive to all faith groups."

To help school districts plan their calendar, she said, "We send out a five-year calendar every January, and in the cover letter we explain Jewish student and staff holiday observance."

The cover letter also states: "In our diverse country, sensitivity to the religious observance of all students is appropriate. We hope that teachers and school officials will be cognizant of Jewish holiday observance and refrain from scheduling tests, important school events or open houses that Jewish students and their families would not be able to attend."

Singer said, in the past, if Yom Kippur fell on a weekend, the district would give students Rosh Hashanah off. Most school districts that mark the Jewish New Year will have a day off on Monday.

Several parents, like Singer, have written letters to the district asking it to reconsider.

Singer speculated the district may be making the change because there are fewer Jewish students and staff at the schools compared to Albany, Troy, Averill Park, Guilderland, Niskayuna and others that get the holidays off.

"I don't question the fact that we are a minority, but this day has been there for us for a long time," Singer said. "If they are looking for a day, there are other ways to do it."

The district recently changed the calendar after some complaints that the district-wide open house fell on Sept. 26, Yom Kippur.

She and others left Wednesday's gathering disappointed.

"I'm just dismayed that we got no answers as to why they made this change," said Singer. "I felt they did not listen.