NORTHBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - School officials in Northborough say a traditional Halloween parade will be back in-school, following feedback received from parents and locals.
Gregory Martineau, Superintendent of Schools for The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough, announced on Friday that after he and principals reviewed emails from the school community, the school district would reverse course on a decision to alter the Halloween parade for elementary students.
On Tuesday, parents said they received an email from the district saying Halloween costumes would not be allowed during the school day and that if students wanted to participate in a parade, they would have to do it away from school property.
A day later, parents expressed opposition at a virtual school committee.
“I don’t understand why it’s being taken away from my son, I don’t understand the reasons behind it,” said Edward Reiss, a parent who spoke during the meeting on Wednesday.
At the same meeting, the chair of committee urged the superintendent to reconsider, encouraging him to look at other alternatives.
“I will add that last year, 12 percent of elementary students did not participate in the parade – that’s about 120 students – for a variety of reasons,” Martineau explained at the time.
By Friday, the parade was back on – just at a different time and with options for students who did not wish to participate.
“With the feedback we received, we recognize that, with this decision, the District did not seek input and share its process with families,” Martineau stated in Friday’s announcement. “We acknowledge the importance of engaging families in the discussions around the parade.”
According to the superintendent, officials decided to hold Halloween parades at all Northborough elementary schools, and that they would take place during the first twenty minutes of the school day, rather than the last.
The full announcement can be found here.
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