LMSD Scraps Halloween Parade

By Sayna Shah and Rebecca Oltman - Class of 2025

Halloween. Many people celebrate, and many don’t. This holiday has caused a rumble in the Lower Merion School District. LMSD has been holding an elementary school halloween parade for over fifty years! Now, the parade seems to have run into an obstacle. The Lower Merion School District has decided after fifty years to cancel the parade. The inclusivity issues are a complication, but so are safety issues.

The problem is that the parades are held outdoors, and any parent can come and take their child without telling the teachers or the school. The school can’t fit all of the children plus their parents, so that is also a safety hazard. This decision to nix the parade was also due to the past safety incidents in the county.

Another one of the major problems was the inclusivity issues some children don’t celebrate Halloween. While others were having fun in the parade wearing their costumes with parents taking pictures, those who didn't celebrate Halloween had to sit in the library. Some parents are upset; they think it's a fun activity for the children, but others think the school made a good call. Besides the inclusivity issues, children that do celebrate Halloween may not be able to have their parents come, and that prospect makes the child feel left out.

Since LMSD decided to cancel the halloween parade should they take into consideration that some people also don't celebrate Valentine's Day? But there are also things we have to think about: do the children like receiving the valentines even if they dont give any out? Or do they not? If they cancel one holiday should they consider canceling all holidays? Or celebrating all holidays?

Other than the inclusivity and safety issues, Halloween was just a joyful event for most kids. This year instead of doing Halloween based activities the district is doing fall based activities for those that don't celebrate Halloween. Then they would go out into the parade while parents took pictures. After a fun day at school the children would eventually go home.

All in all, there are multiple reasons to cancel or keep the parade. Let us know what you think by emailing s027375@students.lmsd.org or s027328@students.lmsd.org .

Websites used: https://6abc.com/lower-merion-school-district-halloween-parade-canceled-montgomery-county/12311926/#:~:text=BALA%20CYNWYD%2C%20Pennsylvania%20(WPVI),for%20more%20than%2050%20years.

https://montco.today/2022/10/lower-merion-halloween-parade-cancelled/