Frances Willard Day

Frances Willard Day Observed – School in session. Wisconsin public school observance day required by statute. Commemorates the Janesville teacher and lecturer who was influential in the early women’s movement and was president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union from 1879 until her death in 1898.

Wisconsin Public Schools 2022-23 School Year Observance Days

Background

Wisconsin’s 21 special observance days are part of state statutes governing general school operations (Wis. Stat. sec. 118.02). Federal law has moved the celebration of many legal holidays to Monday, however, state law recommends that each Wisconsin Special Observance Day be held on the day itself. When an observance day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it should be observed on the preceding Friday or the following Monday.

Honoring observance days can teach the elements of tradition that preserve U.S. society and foster an awareness of our cultural heritage. Observance days can be part of a rich social studies curriculum that gives these individuals and events proper emphasis, both in the context of Wisconsin and U.S. history and in relation to their effect on or improvement of our political, economic, and social institutions.