Catholic high school students in Sarnia will no longer have the opportunity to attend a school-sanctioned prom.
A letter issued to the St. Patrick's Catholic High School community said a difficult decision was made to "no longer organize, chaperone or support a school-sanctioned prom event."
Superintendent of Secondary Schools Chris Kehoe said it was a school-based decision, supported by the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
"Essentially, the reason for it is the school is taking on a significant risk and those volunteering to host the prom are as well. It's a move that's really in line with schools provincially," Kehoe said.
"I know it was a tough decision for the school administration and the teachers. They really care about the students, they care about the families but when considering all of the different variables, it made a lot of sense to the school team to move away from hosting prom as a school-sanctioned event."
Without getting into specifics in terms of risks the school and volunteers face, Kehoe said it didn't make sense to continue hosting this type of voluntary event given the "current climate" and fact that schools across the province have nixed the event as well.
He also said there wasn't a specific incident that sparked the decision.
"Our students are responsible and they're excellent people but with the heightened expectations and the heightened importance that's placed on prom, sometimes students may act in ways that typically they wouldn't and it can put people at risk," said Kehoe.
The decision likely came as a disappointment for some students and families as prom is typically seen as a momentous occasion.
"I'm hearing informally that there are parents and students that are really embracing this opportunity to still go ahead with a prom that is a collaboration of parent and student efforts," said Kehoe.
The last school-sanctioned prom St. Pat's held was in the spring of 2019.
Prior to COVID-19, the school also held regular dances. Kehoe said he can't say whether or not those will still be held in the future as it hasn't been brought up.
As this was a school-based decision and not a board decision, Kehoe said the Catholic high school in Chatham (Ursuline College Chatham) will be hosting prom this spring.