US Schools Increasingly Accommodate Muslim Students During Ramadan
Schools across the United States are implementing more supportive measures for Muslim students observing Ramadan. They are creating dedicated spaces for prayer, offering alternative activities during lunch periods, and even hosting community iftars. Educators from Virginia to Michigan to Minnesota are developing programs that allow Muslim students to maintain their religious practices while participating fully in academics. These accommodations come as the holy month of Ramadan, which requires dawn-to-sunset fasting, coincides with the spring semester, when many students face critical exams and academic requirements.
Creating Inclusive Spaces During Fasting Hours
For Muslim students observing Ramadan, the school day presents unique challenges, particularly during lunch periods when they abstain from food and drink.
"School administrators allow fasting students to hang out in their library during lunch periods," reported Religion News Service, describing how J.R. Tucker High School in Richmond, Virginia, has created alternative spaces for students observing the fast. Under the guidance of art teacher Javaria Masroor, the school has also "dedicated a small room where students can go for daily prayers between classes and assemble in small groups to perform Friday prayers together."
This approach is becoming increasingly common across the country. In Dearborn, Michigan, where nearly half of the 110,000 residents are of Arab descent, schools have developed systematic accommodations for their large Muslim student population.
"We allow students on their own to practice their faith as long as it's not disrupting the school day," said Dearborn Schools spokesperson David Mustonen. "We also try to find other spaces or activities in the school during lunch for those students who may be fasting."
Similarly, at East African Elementary Magnet School in St. Paul, Minnesota, principal Abdisalam Adam has set aside space in the library where fasting students can engage in alternative activities rather than sitting in the cafeteria.
"All needs are connected," Adam told The Times of Israel, emphasizing that accommodating Ramadan observance aligns with the school's broader goal of caring for students.
Educational Impact of Fasting
Research indicates that fasting can affect academic performance, making accommodations particularly important during testing periods.
A recent study published on SSRN in February 2025 found that "8th grade students taking their final year's test during Ramadan score 1.1 standard deviations lower than those who take the exam prior to Ramadan." The research concluded that these findings "underscore the need to account for Ramadan's impact when scheduling important exams, even in non-Muslim countries, to prevent creating disparities between Muslim and non-Muslim students."
This academic impact has prompted educators to develop flexible approaches to testing and assignments. Amaarah DeCuir, an education researcher and expert on Muslim student experiences, emphasized to USA Today that "Ramadan is a time of joy and reflection, when families may pray late at night and early in the morning. With fasting and limited sleep, students are sometimes low on energy."
In Louisiana, Muslim parents have advocated for testing accommodations after observing their children struggling with standardized tests during Ramadan.
"We had absolutely no accommodations. They were fasting with nothing to eat or drink, but they still had to take the tests," parent Heather Arafat told PBS NewsHour. "It is tough. They are beating their brains. They were trying to focus and concentrate with no food and no water. It made testing difficult."
Community Building Through School Iftars
Some schools have gone beyond basic accommodations to celebrate Ramadan through community events actively. J.R. Tucker High School in Richmond hosted its second annual iftar—the meal that breaks the fast at sunset—open to Muslim and non-Muslim students from high schools around the area.
"This was the second year Tucker High School hosted an iftar," Religion News Service reported. "Deep Run High School, in Virginia's Henrico County School District, has also hosted iftars to help local Muslim students build community and practice their faith comfortably in a public school setting."
These events support Muslim students and educate the school community about Islamic traditions. At the Barrie School in Glenmont, Maryland, students organized their first-ever iftar to educate "classmates, teachers, and school administrators about Ramadan, fasting, and what it's like to be a Muslim student on campus."
Innovative Meal Programs
Several school districts have developed creative solutions to ensure fasting students have access to nutritious meals when they break their fasts at sunset.
"The Fairfax County Public School District, close to Washington in northern Virginia, took up a new program made possible by the Virginia Department of Education, offering meal kits for students who are fasting," Religion News Service reported. These kits contain "a protein, fruit, vegetables, low-fat milk and whole grains to be picked up at the end of the school day and eaten as soon as the fast is over at sunset."
Similar programs have been implemented in St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota, the San Diego Unified School District, and the Garden Grove Unified School District in California. These initiatives ensure students can maintain their religious practices while receiving proper nutrition.
Student Advocacy Drives Change
In many cases, these accommodations have resulted from student advocacy and the dedication of Muslim educators.
At Tucker High School in Virginia, art teacher Javaria Masroor has been "instrumental in creating safe spaces for Muslim students, including an influx of Afghan refugees at the school," according to Religion News Service.
"Mrs. Masroor was instrumental in getting our MSA (Muslim Student Association) going," Nazifa Chowdhury, a senior at Tucker, told Religion News Service. "We're the first class to graduate with all four years of MSA."
Masroor credits fellow teachers, administrators, and the school principal for supporting her efforts to create prayer spaces and educate all students about Ramadan "in ways that don't proselytize or distract from the school day."
Resources for Educators
Various organizations provide resources for school districts less familiar with Muslim traditions to help educators develop appropriate accommodations.
The Islamic Networks Group, a California-based nonprofit, offers online information about Ramadan and its significance. Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi explained to The Times of Israel that many districts "don't know very much about Islam or any of our holidays," limiting their ability to provide appropriate accommodations.
Muslim Advocates has published a "Know Your Rights" guide addressing Ramadan accommodations in schools and colleges. The guide explains that "during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslim students may need adjustments from their schools and colleges to accommodate their religious practices" and outlines the legal protections available to students seeking religious accommodations.
Demographics and Context
These accommodations serve a growing and diverse Muslim population in the United States. According to Justice for All's "American Muslims 2025: A Brief Profile," there are approximately 4.5 million Muslims in the United States, with about 300 Islamic schools serving more than 50,000 students.
The profile notes that "American Muslims are younger than all other communities: 26 percent of Muslims are between the ages of 18 and 24, compared with two percent to 12 percent of other groups surveyed." Additionally, Muslims are described as "the country's most ethnically diverse faith community," with one-third of American Muslims being Black, one-third of South Asian descent, one-quarter of Arab descent, and the remainder from various backgrounds.
Balancing Religious Observance with Academic Success
Educators emphasize that these accommodations do not lower standards but create equitable conditions for all students' success.
"If my students are comfortable in their skin in a school setting, it opens them up to learn from each other and their teachers and to prioritize their education," Masroor told Religion News Service.
We Are Teachers, an educational resource platform, recommends several approaches for supporting students during Ramadan. These include avoiding food-centric class events, reducing potentially dangerous physical activity, offering time and space for prayer, and creating alternative spaces during lunch periods.
The site emphasizes that while Muslims are supposed to notice their hunger during Ramadan, "sitting in a room where everyone else is eating can be overwhelming, and it's not a required part of the experience. It's about awareness, not suffering."
Future perspective
As awareness grows and more schools implement accommodations for Muslim students during Ramadan, these practices may become standardized across educational institutions. The current trend suggests a movement toward greater religious inclusivity in American schools, recognizing that supporting students' religious practices can enhance their academic experience.
For students like Simal Imran, a senior at Tucker High School, these changes have already transformed the school experience. "It's hard to find someone who doesn't know about Ramadan now," she told Religion News Service, explaining how her friends encourage her when she is tired at track practice or during weight training. "If they see me struggling, they'll say, 'Only one more hour to go!' and cheer me on."
As Ramadan continues through mid-April 2025, schools nationwide will continue refining their approaches to supporting Muslim students, potentially establishing models that can be adopted more broadly in the coming years.