Schools across the country have announced they are cancelling Halloween activities this year. These decisions are being made by administrators, often with little or no input from parents. Administrators claim they want to focus on academics but also note “religious and cultural” issues are at play in the decision to downplay Halloween.

A school superintendent in Skokie, Illinois just north of Chicago recently announced that District 69 schools will not be celebrating Halloween this year. A letter sent to parents last month mentioned the need to focus on academics but also explained the decision as the result of economic, religious, and cultural concerns. “Many students cannot afford costumes and there is an economic disparity… We also have students that are unable to participate for religious or cultural reasons.”

Many parents in Skokie were not happy about the sudden change in policy; others were bothered that they were not consulted or questioned the reasons they were given. Dave Charles, one of the parents in the district, told NBC, “I don’t know how many people associate it with any type of religion.” One Skokie parent, Shaun Saville, started a petition which eventually garnered 472 signatures.

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