Faced with phone calls from angry parents who don't want their children to view the Tuesday address to the nation's students by President Barack Obama, several districts have decided to just say no.

The U.S. Department of Education has billed the 15- to 20-minute speech as one that will talk to students "about persisting and succeeding in school."

But critics, fueled by talk radio and conservative bloggers, have objected nationwide, fearing the address from a high school in Virginia will cross the line into politics.

The speech is not unprecedented.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush addressed the nation's students live on television from a school in Washington, D.C., telling them to "make it your mission to get a good education."

Students at Hilliard Davidson High School were set to listen to Obama's address, and if their parents didn't want them to, they could sign an opt-out form. But then the phone calls started coming, and the district canceled the event.

"Since yesterday, we have received significant feedback from the school community," said Hilliard schools spokeswoman Carrie Bartunek. "We were looking at absences because of the viewing of this. We did not want to have disruptions of the academic day."

Hilliard parent Greg St. Clair, 52, said he doesn't need Obama talking to his 16-year-old about staying in school. The president, he said, should focus on the two wars the country is in and the bad economy.

"I would prefer that we would be able to watch anything like that alongside our kids, and make no bones about it, I have a very conservative sort of view," St. Clair said.

Hilliard-Davidson junior Lucas Moore, 16, said the high school handed him a permission slip yesterday morning and then minutes later took it back. Then an announcement was made over the public-address system that the plan to watch the speech had been canceled.

Obama's speech "is a public announcement to us the students," Moore said. "So if we want to listen to it, I think we should get the right to listen to it."

Dublin schools Superintendent Dave Axner sent school administrators an e-mail yesterday saying the district "will not be participating in President Barack Obama's address." He followed up with another e-mail instructing them not to use e-mails or the Web "regarding this topic."

Another e-mail, apparently sent Wednesday, from Axner to school-board members told them that parents were complaining. It advised, "I don't think this is anything we want to (as a district) participate in."

Olentangy schools also won't participate.

Westerville will allow schools to participate, giving parents a chance to have their child opt out.

Columbus schools are requiring all students to watch the president's address.

"The president's message will be a part of the students' regular instruction time and is in alignment with the district's overall mission," said Columbus schools spokeswoman Kim Norris. "We don't allow students to opt out of their regular instruction."

bbush@dispatch.com