Polk Co. School District responds to petition to cancel classes on Friday -- the day after Halloween

Polk school officials say ‘no’ to Halloween petition

The Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating falls on a school night, and an online petition has many signatures demanding the following school day to be canceled in Polk County. School officials responded...and they say it's not going to happen.

BARTOW, Fla. - The Polk County School District responded to an online petition requesting that students be given the day off after Halloween.

A Change.org petition argues that students have a day off after other holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas -- so why not Halloween? The petition claims teachers and staff will be coming home late on Halloween night, which could impact their performance at school the next day.

As of Tuesday morning, the petition had gained close to 17,000 signatures. A similar petition in Hillsborough County had gathered nearly 40,000 signatures.

The Polk School District released a tongue-in-cheek response on their Facebook page,

“Unfortunately, our yearly school calendar is set well in advance, and barring an emergency, we cannot close schools on short notice. We hope you have a safe and happy Halloween. Our school nurses will be ready to assist you with any candy-related ailments when you return ... On Friday.”

The push is part of a national movemen. There’s a similar Change.org petition that has picked up more than 150,000 signatures to change Halloween’s date from Oct. 31 to the last weekend of the month. The group behind the movement is now trying to anoint the final Saturday of the month as “National Trick-or-Treat Day.”