The NJ school district is dropping its controversial ban on Halloween costumes and classroom parties

South Orange-Maplewood School District Students will be able to wear costumes and hold class parties around Oct. 31 this year, but principals should consider holding “fall celebrations” instead of Halloween events, local officials said.

Last year, the Essex County district attracted a lot of attention School Halloween celebrations canceled. The goal was to prevent “the creation of indirect and unintended financial hardship for students and families,” and to be fair to families whose culture and religious beliefs do not include Halloween, according to then-Superintendent Ronald Taylor.

The decision drew mixed reviews. “Serious? Can’t we let kids celebrate Halloween? Give me a break,” Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted at the time.

This year, under new Superintendent Jason Bing, South Orange-Maplewood’s policies will be more in line with those of other districts, district spokesperson Eshaya Draper said.

The directors decide which events to organize, as long as they are comprehensive.

“We encourage ‘fall celebrations,’ but principals can still hold their festivities as Halloween events,” Draper said.

“Students who do not celebrate will participate in fall-focused activities that are as enriching as they are enjoyable to ensure every student feels valued. Some schools choose not to celebrate October 31 and inform their parents,” he added.

Under the new policy, all students will participate in celebrations even if they are not wearing costumes.

There will be no situations where some students participate in alternative, less enjoyable activities instead of participating in the school-wide events. That’s happened in the past to students who didn’t celebrate Halloween or whose families couldn’t afford costumes, school officials said.

The celebrations will be “as general, public and friendly as possible so that all students feel included,” Draper said. “There will be no other students from our students.”

South Orange-Maplewood is among school districts across the country — including schools in and around Boston, Seattle and Philadelphia — that have limited celebrations to include more students who can’t afford costumes or don’t celebrate Halloween.

In South Orange-Maplewood, Tuscany Elementary School Principal Malikah Majeed recently sent a message asking families to “embrace our inclusive school practices with understanding and grace.”

The school works to ensure that “all experiences and traditions at school can be enjoyed all Tuscan children,” the director wrote.

Students can wear costumes all day long. But inflatable costumes, masks, makeup and costumes with weapons are banned until the last hour of the day, Majeed said. There will be no food, drinks or goody bags available during class celebrations due to student food allergies.

Teachers at Tuscan Elementary can host harvest-themed fall celebrations from October 30 through November 27, with dressing up optional. If a child wants to dress up but his or her family cannot afford a costume, Majeed said anonymous requests for help can be made to the school social worker and will be supported by the PTA.

According to social media posts, the principal of Marshall Elementary School said students can wear a costume to the fall festival on Oct. 31 on the school’s front lawn. There will be activities including sack races and the acorn in a spoon races, pumpkin decorating and leaf rubbings.

Families at South Mountain Elementary School and Clinton Elementary School also said they were told celebrations would be allowed TAP to SOMAa local news site.

The principal of Seth Boyden Elementary School, which ended Halloween celebrations in 2015, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

When Seth Boyden Elementary suspended its Halloween celebration, about 120 of its 518 students did not participate and needed alternative activities.

Many students stayed home on October 31 for various reasons. Some Christians, Muslims and Orthodox Jews do not encourage the celebration of Halloween, school officials said. Some families found it difficult to leave work to help children put on their costumes and watch them during school parades. Other families had trouble paying for costumes.

Maplewood-South Orange’s new Halloween policy received mixed reactions from parents this week.

“I’m disappointed to see the district backtracking on this,” said Catherine Cronin, whose youngest child attends Seth Boyden Elementary School. “Our cities celebrate Halloween so extensively that not having school costume parades or class celebrations is not a problem. It is better to involve all members of our community and not just those who celebrate Halloween.”

The old policy made sense considering that both South Orange and Maplewood held Halloween celebrations outside of school hours, one parent noted.

“It was one of those things where I think it was a good step toward equality and inclusivity,” said Kimberly Takacs, a parent of a student at Tuscany Elementary School.

The old policy took into account families from different religious and cultural backgrounds, as well as students with sensory issues who find costumes uncomfortable, she said.

“There are other opportunities to celebrate as a community, for people who want to be involved,” Takacs said.

But a parent in a local Facebook group said different groups have different views on “doing the right thing.”

“Allowing students to wear costumes on Halloween (with very reasonable/sensible rules) while still keeping the focus on the day’s events that celebrate fall (and not Halloween) seems like a very, very reasonable way to handle this go,” said the parent. wrote on Facebook.

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Tina Kelley can be reached at [email protected].