Some parents in Northborough, Massachusetts, are upset after the school system there called off an annual Halloween parade.
Northborough Superintendent Gregory Martineau explained that there are a variety of reasons why children don’t participate, and the district doesn’t want children to feel left out. He said last year, 12% of elementary school students did not participate in the Halloween parade – that’s about 120 students.
Some were scared of costumes, others were anxious about marching in a parade, and for some, Halloween is not aligned with their family’s beliefs.
Martineau also pointed out it’s a 20 minute parade that pretty much takes up an entire afternoon of learning, when Halloween is not part of the district’s curriculum.
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Parents, though, argue this is ruining the Halloween experience for their children and is being dropped on the school community at the last minute.
“Personally I was really upset that this changed within our community without anybody in the community given the ability to really speak to it," parent Kurt Kitzman said.
Martineau said school leaders will reconsider the decision.
"I understand that the Halloween parade was a wonderful, memory making experience for many students and families, however this is not the case for many students," Martineau said.
The superintendent said it was fair feedback from parents that it seemed this decision was made without input from parents, and that’s part of the reason why the administration is reconsidering.
