CONWAY — Driving to Conway High School on Sept. 23, senior Harper Collins noticed city crews removing plastic pumpkins from trees on campus.
The move surprised the 17-year-old, who looks forward to Conway's transformation into the City of Halloween each October. The city's signature look includes fake jack-o'-lanterns that hang like Christmas ornaments.
Collins was puzzled why the city would take down decorations they had just placed this week.
"What is the point?" he said of the pumpkin purge. "Why did we do this? Why would we waste the time and energy and the resources to go out and put these up if we're just going to take them down the next day?"
City officials have asked similar questions, but they said Horry County Schools has provided little information.
The gourds had to go
On Sept. 22, city staff received an email from Joe Burch, the school district's executive director of capital projects, telling the city the decorations in the trees needed to be removed.
A request for a reason went unanswered, city officials said.
"City staff were approached by Conway High School students and staff about placing pumpkins in the trees again this year," the city said in a statement to The Post and Courier. "The pumpkins were installed Monday. On Tuesday, the City was informed that additional approval from Horry County Schools was required, and City staff removed the pumpkins as requested."
School district spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier did not provide a reason why the district wanted the gourds gone.
"We appreciate the intent behind the seasonal decorations at Conway High School," Bourcier said in a text, adding that the school district did allow decorations at another HCS building in the city. "We value our partnership with the City and look forward to working together to ensure future seasonal displays are coordinated appropriately."
A Halloween haven
Conway's reputation as a Halloween haven has garnered attention from Southern Living and HGTV. The city's downtown becomes a veritable haunted house each fall with 10-foot skeletons and wafting witch hats, drawing thousands of locals and visitors to the county seat on the banks of the Waccamaw River.
The decorations have occasionally sparked opposition, but city officials said the response has been overwhelmingly supportive.
Local businesses and organizations also get in on the festivities. On Sept. 21, the topic of school support came up at a Conway City Council meeting.
"Conway High School is really buying into the city of Halloween," said City Councilwoman Amanda Butler, a special education teacher at the school.
She thanked City Administrator Adam Emrick for visiting the high school last week and speaking with students and teachers about Conway's Halloween rebranding.
"Which really left a big impact on them," she said. "I promise you all, what we do, our students see it and they really are loving what we're doing."
Collins, the student body vice president, agreed.
He said many students support the decorating and believe it fosters school spirit. Last year, city crews not only placed pumpkins in the high school's trees, they stood plastic skeletons inside the athletic complex gates and placed gargoyle replicas atop the ticket booths ahead of the Tigers' Oct. 31 football game.
"It was really cool," Collins said. "The student section dressed up in Halloween costumes and stuff like that for the game. ... We had a good time with that."
After seeing the city take down the decorations, Collins said he approached school leadership and was told "a complaint from higher up" prompted the change. He said he understands some people don't celebrate Halloween, but he questioned the objection to this particular decor.
"It was pumpkins," he said. "That's fall. ... You have an issue with fall?"
Even without the high school participating, there is some evidence of the season near the campus.
Conway's sign in front of the school has a "City of Halloween" banner draped over it.