Modesto high school seniors asked for outdoor proms. Here’s what the district says
Citing equity and health concerns, the Modesto City Schools district is turning down seniors’ bid to have outdoor proms to conclude a school year that likely will be remembered most for COVID-19.
Last week, several students rallied outside the district’s Board of Education meeting, and more than a dozen addressed trustees in verbal or written comments, arguing that outdoor proms could be held safely following federal Centers for Disease Control guidance on large gatherings.
The teens said there would be ground rules, including a maximum attendance of 200, assigned seating, masks, and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for admittance.
In an email to The Bee, MCS Superintendent Sara Noguchi said the district understands students’ desire to have proms but doesn’t believe they can be safely held under the California Department of Public Health guidelines. That guidance at least implicitly rules out dancing and mingling.
And capping attendance at 200 when there are very large senior class enrollments at schools, ranging from 355 to 581 students, means that in some cases, more than half of the students could be excluded. That’s just one of the equity issues, the district says.
Another is that becoming fully vaccinated or getting a rapid test prior to the event might not be possible or feasible for some students, MCS spokeswoman Krista Noonan said.
A greater concern is how rapidly and widely COVID-19 can spread at an event, Noonan said. Public health officials have told her that should even one person who’s attended a prom-like event test positive for the disease, it’s likely that all 200 who attended would have to quarantine for 10 days, she said.
“The reason for this is because it’s almost impossible to perform accurate contact tracing with such a large group,” Noonan said by email Monday. “A good example of the impacts of quarantines involves athletics. We’ve had a few sports teams where Public Health has required the entire team to quarantine for 10-14 days (depending on the sport) due to a single individual testing positive for COVID-19. And this occurred with players and coaches regularly testing throughout the week and prior to games.”
Downey High senior wants prom
Downey High senior Fiona McInnes Messamer, who was among those at last week’s board meeting, said she thinks the district is arguing an equity issue that isn’t there. “Students are equally able to get vaccines or testing, as the county provides both those options for free. And if it’s not an equity problem for sports players to be tested, then why does it have to be an equity problem for senior activities?”
In an email, she added that the district administration is “neglecting” the science of how COVID-19 is transmitted and the science behind the different kinds of testing. “If each student were to be tested the day of, with two rapid tests to be extra safe, the likelihood of transmission is extremely low.”
Athletes sometimes don’t get test results back for a matter of days, McInnes Messamer said, so they may not even be aware they’re spreading the virus. Rapid testing would be a different matter.
The district’s focus is on hosting in-person graduations the week of May 24, using state Department of Public Health safety guidelines, Noguchi said. “We absolutely want to do our part to ensure that nothing jeopardizes a graduating student’s ability to participate in the ceremonies due to a potential COVID-19 outbreak.”
She said high school principals are working on other safe senior recognition activities. They may include seniors walking the stage during an extended lunch period to be recognized by their classmates and announce their next steps after graduation. “Our sites are also planning warm welcomes for seniors during the cap-and-gown distribution events that will celebrate the occasion.”
On a recent conference call that included at least most of her Stanislaus County colleagues, Noguchi said the superintendents were agreed on the issue of not sponsoring proms or “prom-like” events this year.
The Bee, too, emailed the superintendents of Stanislaus districts that include high schools. Of those who responded, only one said a prom was in the works. Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District Superintendent Randy Fillpot said Orestimba High “is doing prom on two different nights in order to provide social distancing, and it will be outside.”
Modesto City Schools seniors told their trustees that sanctioned proms would be much safer than alternative private events that are sure to be held by students and their families.
Noguchi said to The Bee, “I am imploring the community to, please, avoid hosting their own ‘prom-like’ events, at least until after the last graduation ceremony takes place on May 27. We’ve seen how swiftly and broadly COVID-19 can spread, with even just one positive case affecting vast numbers of individuals who are then required to quarantine.
“It would be extremely detrimental if there were private events that caused an outbreak or a quarantine situation which then prevented students from participating in their graduations.”
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
