MIDDLETON, Wis. -- While many offices and schools were closed on Monday to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Middleton-Cross Plains School District administrators said that their decision to have classes proved controversial.

Educators said that some schools are revisiting the idea of allowing students to have the day off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and instead are seeking to honor King by keeping children in school, WISC-TV reported.

Middleton High School is one those that held classes on Monday.

To mark the day, the school hosted several events linked to King's birthday, including a program that included musicians playing black American music.

Bill Reis, the superintendent of the district, said that despite events like this, he has fielded several complaints about the students not having the day off.

"The jury is still out on just what is the right thing to do to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King," Reis said. "At this point in time, our district has opted for meaningful school learning recognitions.

"I wonder if 90 to 95 percent of the students here would have done something on their own today to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King? And I'm thinking probably not," Reis said.

However, some of the students disagreed with this idea.

"It's not like we're trying to get out of school," said student Dorothy Katana. "We just want to get this day recognized because it's really important to us."

Marihelen Stoltz, a professor at Edgewood College and a Middleton parent, said that teaching about race relations is her way to remember King, and she has mixed feelings about the decision to have classes, WISC-TV reported.

"I can't change the policy, but I can do my best to make students aware of Dr. King's legacy while the policy is being debated and discussed," Stoltz said. "And it will continue to be debated and discussed."

An associate high school principal said that students will be excused from classes on if they'd rather attend community events, like the state Capitol observance or youth service day.