A Pennsylvania school is nixing its annual Halloween celebration due to concerns of safety and inclusivity.
WPVI-TV out of Philadelphia reports that Lower Merion School District in Bala Cynwyd, PA is cancelling the annual parade that has been held for over 50 years.
The district sent lets to parents and guardians last week that six elementary schools will not hold the annual event with the main concern safety related.
Administrators say they can’t screen everyone that attends the parade because it is held outside.
Officials pointed to a late September shooting that happened at near-by Roxborough High School. That shooting left a 14-year-old dead with four other teenagers injured.
Another reason brought up is not everyone celebrates Halloween. A director of community relations for the school tells WPVI that kids that don’t celebrate sit in the library during the parade.
"We looked at all of that and we said, 'Are the parades really that important to the students?' And the answer we came up with is not really," said Community Relations Director Amy Buckman.
The students will still be able to dress up and “fall-themed” activities are planned instead of the parade.