Reboot for prom

The only local high school prom came off without a hitch last Saturday, as about 110 Ozaukee High School students attended the festivities at The Barn at Buechler Farms in Belgium.

“It was a wonderful event. The venue was great, the weather was picture perfect,” OHS Principal Mike Leach said. 

Being able to hold some of the prom outside — the traditional grand march, for instance — helped alleviate some concerns related to Covid-19, he said. 

Once inside, students were urged to wear masks and maintain social distance, but those efforts weren’t always successful, Leach conceded.

“The kids did the best they could,” he said. “They needed some reminding. Many came with masks that matched their outfits.”

The school decided to hold the prom after students lobbied for the dance, Leach said.

“At that point, we made the decision to not cancel prom and just postpone it as we considered our options,” he said.

Those options included holding prom in conjunction with the winter formal or other events.

Three remote meetings with parents were held, and a survey was sent to parents.

About 70% of parents wanted a dance held in August, rather than waiting to hold the event, with the other 30% being split among the other options.

“It was clear what the preference was,” Leach said.

Hannah Lemke, who will be a junior this fall, is glad the prom took place.

“When my friends and I all heard that we were still going to have prom, we were all so very excited,” she said. “We all immediately wanted to go, and it was an amazing opportunity. 

“My friends and I feel so very lucky to have been able to have a prom this year. The only downside of prom was having to wear a mask and try to be socially distanced, which kept a couple of classmates from coming to the dance. 

“On the other hand, those who came to prom had an absolute blast even if we had to wear a mask,” she said.

Leach said prom attendance is normally about 150 but was reduced this year because some students were prevented from attending due to Covid-19 concerns and a number of graduating seniors had already left the area to attend college or begin their careers.