[82lsju]

I suspect the rationale is similar to my kids' school district giving the entire President's Day week off (it's called ski week).  Absenteeism was so high that week because of families going to Tahoe that the district stopped fighting it and just gave the whole week off.  I suspect a similar situation at Stanford for Thanksgiving.

BC

the motivation is even higher in K-12 public schools in California since state funding is linked to the actual number of student attendance days so high absentee rates for known dates costs the districts money.  Of course the days off (my local district has this week off, two weeks at Christmas, a ski week, a spring break week and other assorted days off.) cause school to run from mid-Aug to Mid-Jun and people complain about no time for a summer vacation......

[82lsju]

I suspect the rationale is similar to my kids' school district giving the entire President's Day week off (it's called ski week).  Absenteeism was so high that week because of families going to Tahoe that the district stopped fighting it and just gave the whole week off.  I suspect a similar situation at Stanford for Thanksgiving.

BC

the motivation is even higher in K-12 public schools in California since state funding is linked to the actual number of student attendance days so high absentee rates for known dates costs the districts money.  Of course the days off (my local district has this week off, two weeks at Christmas, a ski week, a spring break week and other assorted days off.) cause school to run from mid-Aug to Mid-Jun and people complain about no time for a summer vacation......