APS has historically marked the holiday on its calendars as Columbus Day.
The board on Monday signaled unanimous support to change the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. A vote to finalize the change and make it official is expected at an upcoming board meeting. Nationally, activists have called for the holiday to be renamed, contending it celebrates colonialism and overlooks the mistreatment of Native Americans. A handful of states have renamed the holiday. During Monday’s school board meeting, Chairman Jason Esteves said there are historical figures “we learn (about) and sometimes honor a little too much.”The move would be largely symbolic since the district would instead give students and staff the same day off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Both days fall on Oct. 12, 2020.
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