BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 No costumes Halloween at one Panama-Buena Vista Union School District this Halloween is causing frustration among some parents, who say they\u2019re less concerned about costumes and more upset about what they call poor communication from school administrators.<\/p>\n
Sing Lum Elementary Principal Dion Lovio recently notified parents through Canvas that the school would not be hosting any Halloween celebrations this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cParents \u2014 Even though we are still a month out from Halloween, I wanted to front-load you with some information,\u201d <\/p>\n
Lovio wrote. \u201cWe will not be having any Halloween celebrations on campus this year, so students should not wear their costumes to school. That Friday will be treated as a regular learning day with assessments taking place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lovio added that students were welcome to wear Halloween or orange-and-black shirts if they chose to, and wished families a safe trick-or-treating evening.<\/p>\n
For parents like Celeste Sasvin, who has two children at Sing Lum, the message was disappointing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Halloween thing is just irritating because it\u2019s a tradition they\u2019ve done for as long as my kids have gone there,\u201d Sasvin said. \u201cMy oldest started at Sing Lum in third grade \u2014 now my youngest still goes \u2014 so it\u2019s a frustrating change.\u201dSasvin said her frustration goes beyond the canceled celebrations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were told over a month in advance that they couldn\u2019t wear costumes,\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s just funny \u2014 their priorities feel kind of messed up. They\u2019ll have no problem telling us not to wear costumes, but when it comes to important things like district board meetings or major changes, we find out the day of.\u201d She\u2019s not the only parent raising concerns.<\/p>\n
Ashley Smith, another Sing Lum parent, shared emails with 23ABC showing her repeated attempts to get clear answers about no costumes for Halloween this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor weeks, I\u2019ve tried to get clear, direct answers regarding whether students will be allowed to dress up on Halloween,\u201d Smith wrote. \u201cInstead, I\u2019ve been met with vague responses and emails sent after hours on Fridays \u2014 clearly timed to avoid timely replies or accountability.\u201dSmith added that the lack of district-wide consistency is \u201cnot only frustrating, it\u2019s inequitable and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
23ABC reached out to the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District multiple times for comment but has not received a response.<\/p>\n
The only statement so far has come from Principal Lovio, who posted a follow-up message to parents on Canvas:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I recognize that not everyone may agree with the outcome, I want you to know it was guided by our shared goal of preparing students for long-term success in school and beyond,\u201d Lovio wrote. \u201cThank you for understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
For parents like Sasvin, the issue now is less about Halloween and more about communication.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf everything at that school was communicated better, you wouldn\u2019t have so many angry parents,\u201d she said. \u201cEven when we need help or have questions, I\u2019ve called the office and been told, \u2018I don\u2019t know.\u2019 They\u2019ll tell me to contact the teacher \u2014 but nobody seems to know anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parents say they hope the situation sparks a larger conversation about transparency and timely communication within the district \u2014 so future changes don\u2019t come as such an unwelcome surprise.<\/p>\n
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