Halloween parades that have been a tradition at Falmouth elementary schools for decades have been canceled, school administrators said in letters to families.
Students are also asked not to wear costumes to school on the Friday before Halloween.
“This decision reflects our continued commitment to creating an inclusive school environment in which all students can participate comfortably,” a letter from Teaticket Elementary School reads. “Additionally, increased student absences connected to school-based Halloween celebrations, and maintaining strong student attendance remains an important priority for us.”
Nick Hanney, a North Falmouth Elementary alum and father of three, created a petition asking administrators to reverse the decision.
“This is a tradition. It’s a great thing that we have here in our community that everyone looks forward to,” said Hanney, who remembers attending parades with his sisters and friends. “And to just take it away, I just wanted to… voice my opinion on that.”
By Tuesday night, more than 600 people had signed Hanney’s petition, he told Boston 25 News.
Among them was fellow North Falmouth alum Peter MacDonald who has four young children.
MacDonald’s parents did not allow him to attend the longstanding parade 30 years ago for religious reasons. But MacDonald, whose own children enjoy the event each year, wants families to have the option to participate and parents to have the opportunity to discuss the matter with administrators.
“I didn’t get to go trick or treating as a kid – that’s just the way I was brought up,” MacDonald said. “I still don’t think the way that the school went about this was the right way. I think there needs to be a public ability to have a conversation about continuing this tradition and not excluding everybody.”
North Falmouth Elementary also explained the decision in its newsletter and encouraged families to attend several other Halloween activities organized by the school’s parent-teacher organization and community partners.
“We recognize that Halloween traditions are special to many of our students and families, and we appreciate your understanding as we work together to keep our school day as inclusive as possible while encouraging families to enjoy the many festive opportunities available throughout our community,” the letter states.
Pamela Waite said she emailed administrators and signed Hanney’s petition this week.
Waite’s seven-year-old son Ganon, who has special needs, has been planning his Halloween costume since August.
“He has a hard time kind of expressing who he is to the world, and a day like this is kind of a day that he can break out of his shell,” Waite said. “If you’re not engaging your students in celebration or making school fun, they’re not going to want to go.”
Waite, who sent Boston 25 News photos of Ganon enjoying last year’s parade, hasn’t yet told the second-grader the event is canceled.
“That was my son skipping for the first time, having a great time amongst peers” Waite said, referring to the photos. “And it was despite a really challenging year for him. So, those moments are crucial to me and my family and, I’m sure, many others.”
MacDonald plans to attend an upcoming school committee meeting with the goal of discussing the matter.
Boston 25 News reached out to Falmouth Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lori Duerr but did not receive a comment by Tuesday evening.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
