From no slow dances to bedazzled Crocs, Philly area high schools are getting creative to make prom happen

It could be a scene from a modern-day version of the movie Footloose when high school students from across the region converge for outdoor proms at places like football fields and farms.

That’s because like in the town at the center of that classic 1984 movie, some proms this year, the first since the coronavirus canceled the spring rites of passage, will be missing something big: dancing.

Some districts have banned it, others are trying to limit it to avoid intimate slow dances that could spread the virus. Appetizers are on the menu instead of sit-down meals to keep students distanced.

That’s not all school districts are doing to avoid disappointing teens by canceling the prom for a second straight year. At some proms, students aren’t allowed to bring guests from other schools. At others, COVID-19 tests and temperature checks are required. Spacious outdoor venues are the default. And some schools are still canceling prom altogether.

Students from West Deptford High School will party aboard the Battleship New Jersey on the Camden waterfront. Cheltenham High School students will dance at the Elmwood Park Zoo. Collingswood and Cinnaminson prom-goers will be at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, and Barnegat High School’s prom will be at an Ocean County farm.

“This is a different venue for them, and it was chosen because it’s 100% outside — with the exception of restrooms,” Barnegat schools spokesperson Allyson Roberts said. “Masks will still have to be worn, but there will be dancing.”

Camden plans to hold indoor and outdoor proms for its six high schools with photo shoots, socially distanced games, and music — but no dance floors. It will be the first in-person gathering for seniors, who have been fully remote since last year.

“You have to do the best you can with what you have,” said Rebecca Cruz-Guy, principal of Woodrow Wilson High School in East Camden.

On a chilly Saturday afternoon this month, a free prom gown giveaway at Wilson drew dozens of girls who sorted through racks of more than 500 brightly colored gowns. They were donated last year by Macy’s but placed in storage after proms were canceled, said Yolanda Moore, of Project Prom, organized by the district to provide free gowns to Camden County girls.

“There’s something for everyone,” Moore said.

In Philadelphia, the school district is still working on guidelines for proms, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said, but the logistics have been challenging. The district has promised in-person high school graduations at outdoor venues but not proms — and many schools are foregoing them.

District students in 10th through 12th grade won’t return to classrooms at all this academic year.

Paul Robeson High, a public school in West Philadelphia, opted against a prom this year. “Unfortunately, our staff did not feel comfortable arranging such an event,” Principal Richard Gordon said.

“It’s just sad for us right now,” he said.

Pennsylvania hasn’t issued specific guidance for proms. A state health department spokesperson noted indoor venues are restricted to 25% of maximum occupancy, a limit that jumps to 50% for outdoors.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to issue new guidelines next week on outdoor gatherings, which could allow schools to expand prom plans. Currently, the state caps gatherings at 200 people outdoors and 25 indoors.

Some districts have already canceled their proms again. And some high school students will graduate without ever attending a prom.

“I really did want to go prom, with my friends and take pictures and have fun,” said Xavier Alexander, 18, a senior at Williamstown High in Monroe Township. “It’s a kind of bittersweet thing.”

Added Isaiah Cook, 18, a senior at the Burlington County Institute of Technology: “At the end of the day, it’s for the better. You don’t want anybody getting sick because of COVID.”

School officials said it’s been challenging to make plans that could change if coronavirus cases spike. Final decisions may not come for several weeks. Some students have purchased gowns and rented tuxedos — unsure if they’ll get the chance to wear them.

Montgomery County health officials recommend that students undergo COVID-19 testing 24 to 48 hours before attending prom and that food be limited to “light refreshments.”

They also suggest eliminating or limiting slow songs, encouraging “forward-facing” dances or line-dancing, and splitting students into groups and repeating popular songs so that “everyone can enjoy the music in succession.”

At Central Bucks South, which is hosting outdoor senior and junior proms on its campus, the events will have food trucks and prepackaged snacks instead of a formal dinner. For senior prom, a deejay will be positioned at the 50-yard line on the football field, and students — as many as 400 are expected — will be encouraged to spread out while dancing, said Jonah Snyder, a senior and student government member tasked with health and safety planning. Heels aren’t allowed on the turf, which “could be a problem for some of the ladies,” he said.

“Hopefully people will look back fondly: ‘My senior year sort of sucked, but that prom was pretty good,’ ” Snyder said.

Pennsbury High School’s prom, which typically attracts 1,000 students, will be staggered in groups and have dinner under a tent, with games and performances by a faculty band, said co-principal Reggie Meadows.

Several other schools, including Ocean City and Washington Township in Gloucester County, are holding proms on their football fields. Deptford High senior Gabrielle Coghill, 18, isn’t happy with a suggestion that girls wear bedazzled crocs instead of stilettos to protect the school’s new track.

“I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars for a dress and wear crocs,” said Coghill, who plans to attend Rutgers University. “But I definitely think it’s better than nothing.”

There won’t be dancing for seniors at Clearview Regional in South Jersey, or at Cheltenham High’s prom at the zoo. Only the school’s 360 seniors can attend, but there are other perks, said Cheltenham principal Renato Lajara.

“Where can you say that you fed a giraffe during prom?” Lajara said.

Harriton High School and Lower Merion High School are providing free COVID testing and also limiting attendance to seniors, a compromise endorsed by parents such as Cheryl Masterman. She said her son, Nick, a Harriton senior, is excited about prom.

“I’m really happy they’re going to have some sense of normalcy,” Masterman said. “It’s been really rough for these kids, because there’s been really nothing to look forward to.”

Other students, like Phoebe Vallapureddy, a junior at Central Bucks East, are choosing not to attend.

“I don’t think going to prom is a risk I should take,” Vallapureddy said.

When this year’s prom was canceled, seniors at Council Rock North High School planned their own event, dubbed “the Garden Gala,” on a 10-acre property owned by a student’s family. About 300 students are expected.

“It’s such a symbolic rite of passage,” said Anna Cairone, a senior. “You’re supposed to look back on it with a lot of fond memories. ... We’re trying to make that happen for everybody.”

Staff writer Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article.