My grandkids don't have MLK day off??? WHY NOT???

My letter to the editor of the Boerne Star:
My grandson and I planned to attend the MLK march on Jan. 21, 2008, for the 3rd year in a row. I was quite surprised to find that my grandson no longer has MLK day off. Evidently this year the BISD decided that our children should attend school on MLK Day. I fought for years with other parents in the BISD to get this holiday granted to our children, and it was. Now, my grandchildren are required to attend school on this day, this year.
I am extremely angry about this. The legacy of those who fought for civil rights with MLK is now ignored and abandoned by the BISD, why?

For me, and my grandkids, MLK day and the march in San Antonio, with about 100,000 of our closest friends, is an important event. During the 3 mile walk, we pass by the markers denoting each and every landmark event during the civil rights movement. it gives me time to discuss each event with my grandchildren, review what they have (and have not learned) in school, and explain/discuss the history of civil rights in our nation. This is one of the singularly most important events for me as a grandparent. It's not Christmas or a birthday, there are no presents, it's quality time spent learning.

If the BISD won't mark MLK day as a school holiday, they should at the very least, allow children who attend the MLK march to have an excused day off from school.