STRUTHERS SCHOOLS Halloween ban upsets parents

Possible litigation was a concern of the school superintendent.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- More than a dozen parents attended the city school board meeting Tuesday, many of them upset with practices at the new elementary school that prohibit children from celebrating holidays such as Halloween.
"My kids don't trick or treat that much, just up and down the street to the people we know. School is a safe place for them, why don't you let them have some fun?" one mother asked.
Another was enraged that her daughter was instructed to remove her 1950s-style poodle skirt the day of the Fall Fest. Children in costumes, she said, were embarrassed and humiliated in front of their classmates when they were told to take them off.
Yet another mom was upset that she'd been asked to leave the school after she'd left work to join her daughter in Fall Fest activities.
Because some families see strong religious overtones in Halloween, and laws mandate a separation between church and state, Struthers Elementary School opted not to celebrate, said Dr. Sandra DiBacco, schools superintendent. Had Halloween celebrations taken place, she said, the school could have been subjected to litigation.
Cites concerns
When asked by one parent if the school had received complaints from parents not wanting their children subjected to Halloween celebrations, DiBacco indicated that concerns had been voiced.
In response to complaints the school had received earlier regarding the absence of a Halloween party and a parade at the school, DiBacco and elementary school principals Betty Washington and June Logan issued a letter to parents attempting to explain the reasons they decided to forgo Halloween celebrations and hold a Fall Fest instead.
Most parents received the Nov. 18 letter Tuesday.
"Today, it is important to respect diversity," the letter begins. It goes on to explain that Halloween is not the same for all people. To some it is a fun day to dress up. To others it is rooted in Christianity -- All Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day. For some, it is a day to honor Satan.
More reasons
Other reasons behind the decision to have a Fall Fest and not celebrate Halloween, the letter states, are:
A Fall Fest celebration would allow the children to have fun as well as connect the theme with lessons in the classroom.
Not all pupils can afford costumes.
The number of pupils in the new building prohibits some of the practices that may have taken place before the four smaller elementary schools were consolidated.
Many parents were not satisfied with the explanation and the board agreed to consider their comments and recommended that parents discuss their concerns with building administrators.
Among the suggestions parents offered was asking them for input before decisions are made.
In regular business, the board authorized advertising for bids to replace all existing wooden doors in the field house with new metal doors, frames and hardware.
kubik@vindy.com