No Halloween fun: Fewer treats – no trick

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning Valley’s school-age students are gearing up for Halloween festivities – but not all of them are allowed to celebrate at school.

Gone are the days of students dressing up in a carefree manner as ghouls and goblins. Students now must abide by school-regulated rules and policies limiting their Halloween festivities.

Poland schools, for example, recently have come under scrutiny after the administration outlawed costumes of all kinds and canceled a costume parade for elementary students that had been a long-standing tradition.

Instead, students will celebrate Halloween sans costumes in their classrooms.

After a Sept. 25 board of education meeting at which the changes were discussed, Superintendent David Janofa explained the change is partly an effect of the school district’s building realignment.

Due to the closure of North Elementary, more students are at Dobbins and Union – and Union, for example, has staircases. School officials and some Parent Teacher Organization members were concerned about the safety issue and some challenges the parade had caused in the past.

Administrators and PTO members were concerned the logistics of a parade – such as getting hundreds of elementary students to and from the high-school stadium – posed a challenge that didn’t match with the payoff.

Instead, administrators decided to observe Halloween in a different way this year.

Some Poland parents disagree.

“Let our kids be kids while they still can,” said parent Pamela Stoklosa.

Stoklosa noted the administration’s reasons sound like nothing but excuses.

“Kids have been dressing up and celebrating in schools for years,” she said. “Now, all of a sudden, parents are complaining [that] it’s such a hassle ... [and] the school takes it away. It’s part of being a kid and having a kid. If it’s such a hassle, maybe [the administration] should have just put some restrictions on the costumes.”

Canfield students are allowed to dress up as long as they don’t wear masks.

Boardman students are also not allowed to wear masks. They are restricted from wearing gory costumes, face paint and bringing toy weapons, as well.

Youngstown City Schools students also are prohibited from any costumes that are gory and have fake blood, but they are allowed to wear masks.

District spokeswoman Denise Dick said clown costumes are frowned upon.

Austintown students are allowed to wear masks, with the exception of Fitch High School students who are not allowed to dress up.

Stoklosa suggested Poland schools give parents the responsibility of helping their children pick age-appropriate costumes, taking the “hassle” away from the school district.

She said she speaks for many parents when she says: “We really hope things will change, and the school [district] will quit taking away the fun things.”