State Tells Massachusetts High Schools To Cancel Proms

MASSACHUSETTS — Bad news for the class of 2021.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently issued guidance to public schools urging them to cancel proms for a second straight spring. The traditional, end-of-high school dances are "an inherently high-risk activity, as it is a social gathering that involves dancing and singing (both of which are activities with increased respiration)."

The education department said schools should either hold "alternative celebrations" for seniors or wait to hold proms until after the school year ends, when more students will have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

It will be the second straight year most Massachusetts schools will cancel proms because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, the education department issued guidance for holding graduations, another event that was postponed or held virtually in 2020.

Most public elementary school students returned to classrooms this week, and middle school students will return to full-time, in-person learning by April 29. But the state has not set a return date for high school students, who are more susceptible to COVID-19.