Iowa school district skipping Valentine's Day for 'Give Love' parties

WAUKEE, Iowa -- Not everyone is in love with Valentine's Day.

A school district in Iowa is no longer celebrating the holiday.

Instead the Waukee Community School District tells WHO-DT that it plans to hold what's called "Give Love" parties in the spring.

"Our motto in Waukee is 'give love,'" said Amy Varcoe, the district's community director. "And so a lot of what will happen in our buildings on that day are cards for retirement communities, our law enforcement, police, fire, military and teaching our students how to give back in a big way."

The decision was based on community and educator input.

Varcoe said the feedback shows fewer families in the area embrace the holiday, which can also be time-consuming for teachers.

Ultimately, the district said it hopes the parties will be more inclusive than traditional Valentine's Day celebrations.