Dear Students and Families,
We understand that some of you have inquired about the possibility of an automatic half-day for students on the day of prom. We appreciate your interest and enthusiasm surrounding this important event for our students.
We want to clarify that the district will continue to follow established policies regarding student attendance on prom day, as on any other school day. This means that an automatic half-day will not be implemented.
However, we also recognize that prom is a special occasion, and families may have individual plans for preparation. As always, our existing Administrative Guideline 5230 regarding EARLY DISMISSAL provides options for families who wish to excuse their student early.
As outlined in this guideline:
A student may be released early upon presentation of a written and/or face-to-face request from the child's parent.
Students will only be released to a parent (whose signature is on file) or a properly identified authorized person with photo identification.
A student may be released "on their own" only with verified parental permission.
So, to be clear, if a student wished to be dismissed early, they need to obtain a form from the main office, have parent complete the form, and return it no later than 48 hours before the day of Prom. No late submissions will be accepted.
In addition to these established procedures, Mr. Dickerson has indicated that students with a verified appointment on prom day will also be excused (prior to appointment time). Please provide documentation of the appointment to the main office.
We also want to briefly reference Board of Education Policy 8640 concerning TRANSPORTATION FOR FIELD AND OTHER DISTRICT-SPONSORED TRIPS.
This policy outlines the guidelines for district-provided transportation for school-related events. Please note that this policy does not directly address early dismissal for events like prom, but rather the transportation to and from such events when they are district-sponsored trips occurring outside of the regular school day such as prom on the night of May 2, 2025.
We believe these existing policies provide a framework that respects both the importance of instructional time and the individual needs of our families. We are committed to ensuring that prom is a memorable and enjoyable experience for our students while also maintaining consistent application of district guidelines.
If you have any further questions regarding early dismissal procedures, please do not hesitate to contact the main office.
Sincerely,
-BHS Administration-