In the Fall of 2018, Class of 2022’s freshman year, then SHS principal Dr. Libano informed the ‘22 Planning Board of his intention to combine the annual Junior and Senior Proms into one Joint-Prom, starting in Spring 2022. Needless to say, Dr. Libano is no longer principal of Sharon High School, and we are living in very different times.

Both the Class of 2022 and 2023 are against this decision. Current administration has given us the following reasons for the transition to a Joint Prom in Spring 2022: they propose it will lower ticket prices, decrease the overlap of students attending both proms, and require less work.

• The ‘22 Planning Board has worked incredibly hard fundraising since 2018 and is financially fit to finance our own Senior Prom without high ticket prices. A Joint-Prom would require a venue that would have to accommodate upwards of 500 students. Our research has shown that these venues are both limited due to COVID and more costly than smaller venues for each individual class. Additionally, since a weekend Joint-Prom is cost prohibitive, a midweek Joint-Prom would be conflicting for Juniors; whereas Seniors have finished school, Juniors would be potentially disturbed as they will be preparing for final and AP exams. Administration also made it clear that a Joint-Prom would provide no revenue for the Junior Class.

• Data from the most recent Prom years showed that there was no significant overlap between Juniors and Seniors attending each other's Proms. In the end, whether a student attends another grade’s Prom is a voluntary choice.

• We don’t doubt that the planning of two Proms requires a significant amount of work, and we are grateful for the amount of extra time that the SHS teachers, staff, and administration put in to help these memorable events come to fruition. To alleviate this burden, the Class of 2022 is willing to put in whatever time and effort it takes. For example, if there is a shortage of chaperones, we will fundraise enough money to hire our own police details. Losing a Senior Prom takes away a final celebration of our time together - as a class - through SPS. In replacement of a Senior Prom, the administration proposed a separate event to help us celebrate this milestone. This new and separate event would also require additional work, planning, and money.

The Class of 2022 Planning Board has worked hard to fundraise over the past three years so we could have this event. Even if a Joint-Prom is inevitable for SHS, now is not the time. In Fall of 2018, no one could have predicted a pandemic. No one could have imagined a high school experience so turbulent and stripped down to its core. A Senior Prom is one of the few class-events we have left. It would be a final opportunity to create a memorable high school experience before we graduate. For the reasons stated above, the signers of this petition respectfully ask that the Sharon High School administration reverse their decision mandating a Joint Junior-Senior Prom.