A Halloween party has been cancelled at one Omaha elementary school, and some parents are not happy with the decision. Religion and security are a couple of the concerns. In fact, religion was the first reason on a school release sent out to the parents of Cottonwood Elementary students.

Principal Nancy Nelson insists that the biggest reason is that the holiday creates a day of distraction for her students. Nelson spoke about the issue on 1110 KFAB Thursday morning.

Nelson says that even if the Halloween party only lasts an hour and a half, the whole day will still be wasted by excited kids. "As you know kids come excited to these sort of things and we tend to lose most of that day," she told KFAB. "Halloween preparations, my main concern is the loss of curricular time."

Instead, Principal Nelson wants to have a Fall Festival which would integrate the curriculum. Some of the parents are not happy about it.

Principal Nelson says she didn't make her decision on her own. She says she discussed the party with other teachers, and even took it to the PTA meeting. She says everyone she discussed the party with backed up her decision.