Pick a Tuesday—Just Not That One

When schools in Bismarck, N.D., scheduled parent-teacher conferences this school year, some chose a Tuesday instead of a Wednesday to avoid competing with the customary “church night” in the capital city, when local youths attend choir practice and other religious activities.

Turned out that the chosen Tuesday, which fell within the limited time frame for conferences outlined in state law, also proved troublesome. The conferences were scheduled for Nov. 4—Election Day.

Earlier this month, after school officials in the 10,600-student district learned of the scheduling problem, they told schools to change the...