After the district set specific parameters regarding prom, the prom committee worked to plan a formal gala from 7:30p.m. to 11:30p.m. Saturday, May 8 at The Fort Worth Club.

“Prom is a rite of passage for seniors, a chance to cap off their grade-school career and end it with a formal and memorable celebration they share with their friends and peers,” sponsor Linsy June said. “All seniors deserve the chance to celebrate this pivotal moment in their lives with an evening full of memories they’ll cherish forever. 

Some schools and districts decided to cancel prom altogether, but sponsor Chrissy Boydstun said this is a major school experience that she and June did not want seniors to miss.

“As sponsors, we just wanted to make sure students’ voices were heard and we were willing to represent those voices at the district administration level so other decision-making individuals knew how important this event is to our kids,” Boydstun said. “Prom is such a great event because it offers a fun-filled evening for seniors to dress up and hang out as one chapter of their lives close and another exciting one begins.”

The ‘Casino Royale’ prom offers many options for students to participate in during the night.

“We will have casino-style games, paired with other fun attractions such as live music, formal and candid photo ops, gaming rooms and even a coffeehouse space perfect for hanging out with friends,” Boydstun said. “Our venue allows for our large prom-going group,typically just shy of 700, to work with their space at 50% capacity.”

To ensure student and staff safety, the district required a ‘plans and protocols’ document outlined with guidelines, which includes masks, social distancing, one-way traffic flow and temperature checks at the door.

“The biggest hurdle has been to redefine an event that traditionally includes a dance floor as the biggest draw,” Boydstun said. “With current guidelines in place, we are working hard with our amazing PTSA parent group to merge their traditional after-prom casino and prizes with our formal evening since dancing is not an allowed option this year.”

Though the senior class has funds in their accounts from the past three years of fundraising, the Fort Worth Club is more expensive than the Perot was.

“The funds will be used to pay for the venue, food, beverages, live music, casino, dealers, games, and more,” June said. “Prom is a huge financial obligation and tickets as well as fundraising efforts put forth since freshman year will help to pay for the evening.”

Senior and prom chair Sydney Webb said she wanted to have a prom because it is something all seniors were looking forward to as a celebration everyone deserves.

“I hope that everyone finds something they love about the evening,” she said. “Everyone should get the chance to feel their best and feel included before we all go our separate ways.”

After over a year of COVID restrictions, June said she is excited to share this event with the seniors.

“We hope that prom is a grand and memorable final experience for seniors,” she said. “We have rented out the entire twelfth floor of the Fort Worth Club and cannot wait for seniors to enjoy an exclusive and elegant evening.”

Boydstun said she recommends everyone come with a great attitude for the night.

“It may look a little different from what students have envisioned their prom would be, but we are working hard to make sure it is still a night to remember,” she said. “We will have health and safety protocols in place, including hand sanitizer stations, facial coverings and social distancing, but our students have been so great to work within whatever guidelines were outlined by our district.”