People spend major bucks for their proms in Manhattan. Thousands of dollars for clothes, tickets, stretch Hummer limos, hotel rooms, and weekend trips. Parents even give their children champagne which surprised me when I first heard about it. It's quite indulgent and contrary to the mission of Catholic schools.

I went to a private school. My prom consisted of me wearing a Gunne Sax dress, taking a limo to the Swan Club, and then going to the Copacabana. We couldn't get into Tunnel or Limelight. We ended the night by having shakes at a diner.

Umm, then you shouldn't send your kids to a Catholic school.

I can not belive this high school is doing this. It is none of the school's business how much a person spends on prom. If I want to buy an expensive dress and ride in a huge limo that is my business. By the way I didn't go to my prom, but that was my decision. Yes sometimes I look back and wish I had gone and this is how the students at this school will feel. They will miss out on those memories. I also think it is great that the father is supporting his son. I watched when they were on this morning. I hope that they get their prom back somehow.

A school doesn't have to sponsor or support an event that is contrary to its mission. The school is putting the parents in charge.

"We are withdrawing from the battle and allowing the parents full responsibility. [Kellenberg] is willing to sponsor a prom, but not an orgy."

ETA: Agreeing with 33girl's comment. It is a Catholic school. If you don't agree with the mission of Catholic school don't send your children to one.

I don't think this is going to stop a parent or group of parents from organizing a private party for the kids at, say, their country club...

Absolutely. It worked for those kids in "Footloose" and they didn't have a country club either.

This was pretty interesting to read, mainly because I am serving as the Jr. class advisor and am responsible for working out the prom details.

We don't really have the problem of extravagant spending in this community where I teach. Many of these kids work, and save up for prom. What did concern me was the idea of parents renting hotel rooms for their kids--and having the unchaperoned parties where everything goes. I've seen too many January/February babies come into the world as a result of too much fun on prom night.

A former school that I worked at was a private school, and for years, the school did not sponsor the prom because the church did not approve of dancing. However, they allowed the parents to sponsor a prom, and have the parents do the planning with the jr. class and the stipulation that school rules ( no inappropriate dresses, no alcohol) still applied.

Our prom budget will be about $8000--that will include room rental, decorations, prom memorabilia, dj expense, and the security as well as munchies there.

Looking back on my senior prom, I would say that enough people participate in the "financial decadence" to justify penalizing everyone.

It's really simple. Parents will now have the responsibility of sponsoring the prom, if it is that important. They have, overwhelmingly, shown that they have the financial means to do so.

Re: Someone is critical of spending? I'm Shocked!!!!
 

Ditto!!!!!!!

I was ROLLIN' while watching this on The Colbert Report. Granted, parents and teens can become quite ostentatious when it comes to prom but that is their business. You cannot prevent people from flaunting their affluence. I don't personally feel it's his place to buck against the tradition of prom. It is the choice of the PARENT to say "Heck No! I'm not paying XXX for that!" Even with his cancellation of prom, you still have parents who are willing to spend any amount of money to ensure that these kids have somewhere to be 'finacially decadent'. I guess I don't understand it because I went to an affluent high school where money and prestige was flaunted daily, not just at prom.

Well yeah... but now at least the school won't be directly associated with the extragence and excess - only indirectly

It is his place. This is a religious school, not public school. This school has a certain set of morals that in its objectives for the students. The parents know this, because they spend money to send them there. The decadence associated with prom at this school goes against the morals that the school is trying to instill in the students. The school is very much within its right to halt prom for the reasons stated.

Another Prom Cancelled
 

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/lo...ostemailedlink

ARTICLE EXCERPT:

After weeks of discussing the possibility of no longer sponsoring a junior and senior prom, Chaminade High School in Mineola has decided to forego the event.

The all-boys school, with a student body of 1600, is run in the Marianist Catholic tradition, the same order that serves Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale, who also cancelled their prom this year.

"The question comes down to the toxic culture of the prom that just can't be reformed," said Father James Williams, President of Chaminade High School. "It's all the over-the-topness that takes place -- who has the biggest limo, who has the most elaborate weekend planned -- that the prom is no longer the focus." "Plus, all the post-prom events usually include drinking and other illegal activities."

Schools that canceled prom offer compromise
 

Wednesday, April 5, 2006; Posted: 10:28 a.m. EDT (14:28 GMT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Two Long Island high schools that canceled their senior proms after years of burgeoning excess that included limos and weekend house rentals in the Hamptons announced a cut-rate compromise Tuesday that will involve bus rides and other more modest arrangements.

Instead of hiring chauffeurs, students will take buses to a Manhattan pier for a dinner cruise. Instead of tuxedos and fancy ball gowns, the dress code will be jackets and ties for boys and dresses for girls.

The cost is expected to be about $100 per student -- a fraction of the cost of the wild parties of the past.

Read the rest here

Try going to a Texas high school. My dress was $75, and that was ONLY because I had shoes and a handbag at home, AND I was working and had the money to buy it, AND it was marked down at a fancy boutique (thank goodness for being tall and very thin), AND because of its classic cut and convervative color (silver), I can still wear it (and the shoes and the dress!) to a fancy dinner. Because I was in ROTC and had to buy military ball dresses every year, there was no way I was spending more than $100 on a stupid prom dress. I would walk into a store and head straight for the clearance rack, and if it hadn't been marked down at least twice, I couldn't afford it. In Texas, spending $600 on a prom dress isn't uncommon. Screw that - I spent $350 on my CAR. I knew a chick who spent five grand on her prom. For what, I have no idea. I didn't spend that much on my college education. Prom is a waste. A W-A-S-T-E. A waste AND a bore. I was atmine for 45 minutes, long enough to do the senior walk. (That, and my BF at the time was 26 and I didn't have the heart to make him stay much longer.)