The Milford School District has reversed its decision to cancel annual Halloween celebrations in elementary schools, but district officials contend that the Halloween hubbub was mostly misinformation.

A letter posted to the district's website Monday by Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth E. Feser sought to clarify the school's original intentions.

The letter said that in lieu of the annual in-school parades, the district had planned to hold a Halloween celebration "that would be inclusive of all children, would involve parents and...would engage children in games, activities and more." This celebration would be held in the early evening, so that families who do not participate in Halloween celebrations would not feel excluded during school hours, the letter said.

After the decision was announced, however, the superintendent said the district was "unmericifully attacked" and "falsely accused" of banning Halloween. "We have been accused of being un-American, of denying children participation in an American tradition, and that we should be ashamed. We struggle to understand why we should be ashamed about the Halloween celebration that each school/PTA is sponsoring, wherein children are encouraged to wear costumes, will be given candy, will spend an hour or more in fun and games," Feser's letter read. "Those of you who have children in our elementary schools know how untrue these accusations are."

The letter concluded by saying that the issue was detracting from the district's true mission, and that in an effort to move forward, schools will hold Halloween parades on the morning of Friday, Oct. 30.

Before the reversal, parents had started a petition over the issue that quickly got more than 2,300 signatures.