BCSC plans for modified prom

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. plans to hold a "modified prom" for its high school students May 1. Notable changes include capacity limits, a priority on senior attendance, a ban on slow dancing and a largely outdoor venue.

The school corporation announced its plans Tuesday. BCSC’s 2021 prom, which has the theme of "Enchanted Garden," will be held from 8 to 11 p.m. at Northside Middle School. "After Prom," on the other hand, is postponed to 2022.

Seniors and their dates will receive first priority for prom tickets. After seniors have purchased their tickets, a lottery per school, based on enrollment, will open for juniors and their dates. The prom will also be livestreamed on BCSC’s YouTube channel with a link made available at bcscprom.com on the day of the event.

Capacity limits will be in place in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. The event will utilize the outdoor football field area with a tent, the patio area and the cafeteria. The prom will move inside the school in the case of inclement weather.

COVID-19 protocols — including masks, social distancing, hand-washing and contact tracing — will be in place for the prom. The event’s website states that slow dancing will not be allowed "in order to comply with social distancing."

Also, while there will be a photo area, large group photos are discouraged. 

BCSC said that the event may be canceled if there is a spike of COVID-19 cases in the community. An announcement regarding cancellation would be sent out at least a week prior to the event.

"As a school corporation, our main goals for this fourth quarter of the school year are to keep our students IN SCHOOL each day, provide an opportunity for Prom, and have Graduation," BCSC’s statement said. "We request the community’s assistance in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 so that these goals become reality."

Last year’s prom was canceled due to COVID-19. In 2019, the BCSC prom drew a record crowd of more than 1,200 attendees at The Commons.

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More information about prom is available at bcscprom.com. To see the full announcement released Tuesday, visit bcscschools.org.

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