Grad proms at some New Brunswick schools up in the air for another year

Parents at one New Brunswick high school are taking it upon themselves to plan a prom for graduating students, after learning it wouldn’t be organized otherwise.

As COVID-19 restrictions loosen throughout the province, graduation events traditionally held in June are once again in question after being altered or cancelled the previous two years.

Kathy Cairns, a parent at Kennebecasis Valley High School in Quispamsis, said school officials informed families it wouldn’t be hosting a prom event prior to graduation.

Parents quickly began planning and fundraising for their own Grade 12 prom, happening June 18 at the town’s arena.

“We knew the earlier we started the better,” said Cairns.

School districts across New Brunswick, including the Anglophone South School District based in Saint John, confirmed decisions about prom and graduation events would be made by each individual school.

“There is much planning and organizing that happens in the lead up to these events and schools will have to assess what is feasible, what resources they have available, and what health protocols are still in place,” said Anglophone South School District spokesperson Jessica Hanlon in a written statement.

“Schools will be in touch with their families in the coming months with plans for the end of the school year activities.”

Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy said in a Twitter post Thursday that he’d been hearing about “some schools” avoiding proms and other graduation events this June.

Cardy was not made available for an interview Monday, but in the same Twitter post last week, said those decisions weren’t due to any directive issued from the provincial government or public health.

Cairns said it was important for her and other parents to take the initiative in planning a Grade 12 prom, capping off what’s been another challenging school year.

“We just want our kids to have a good time,” she said. “To be able to look back at pictures in the years to come and say ‘at least I was able to do that.’”