Senior parents prepare prom

The 2021 Prom, traditionally organized by the high school junior class, is now being arranged by senior parents and will take place on May 8 at The Cellars in Lewisburg.

In early March, a meeting was held to discuss prom plans with the senior class. Principal Mr. Andrew Rantz said that the original plan, offered by the district, was a drive-in movie instead of a traditional dance. This plan was proposed by the Prom Committee, but didn’t get farther than just thoughts as far as a plan, he said. He added that the school could provide an event for the seniors, but a prom was not possible due to the lack of social distancing and the Health and Safety Plan.

The senior class decided that they didn’t want the drive-in movie and wanted a real prom, said Mr. Rantz. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and liabilities, the district decided that they couldn’t deliver a traditional prom and stepped down, according to Mr. Rantz. He added that the seniors may still end up having the drive-in movie separate from the prom at a later date.

Ms. Crystal Hoffer, parent of Senior Jaida Hoffer, and some other parents decided they wanted to make sure that this year’s seniors and juniors get the prom that they wanted. A Facebook group was created to spread information about prom to students and parents, Ms. Hoffer said. This was a good way to spread the word, but people started to think the prom was invite only because those interested had to be added to the group to get information on prom, she added.

“Prom is absolutely not invite only. Every senior and every junior plus their choice of a person, regardless of age, is invited,” she said.

Ms. Hoffer said that she currently works at The Cellars and thought it would be a good location for prom. The prom will include a DJ, a photographer and a Pelican Snow Cone stand, she said. The theme for prom is “Under the Stars.”

Tickets are still available on a first come, first serve basis at the CVS in Milton and the Turkey Hill next to the high school, Ms. Hoffer said. The tickets are $25 for a single ticket and $40 for couples’ tickets. There are only 80 single tickets (or 40 couples’ tickets) left out of 300 total, she said. About 150 tickets have already been sold, she added as of April 8.

Ms. Hoffer said that masks will be optional, but they will try to space out groups of kids as much as they can. She said that there will be tents outside and space inside for students to go in.

“We are going to ask that if people are extremely crowded into one area, they try to break that up if they aren’t wearing masks,” said Ms. Hoffer.

So far, no donations have been made by any businesses for the prom besides the DJ, which was donated by Senior Lilly Mapes’ dad, said Ms. Hoffer. She said that she plans to fund the prom and amenities with just ticket costs.

Ms. Hoffer is also asking anyone that is attending the prom to send two to three pictures of their school year to Jaida Hoffer for a slideshow that will be played during the prom.