Unlike past years, attending Prom or Morp in 2023 may not be a given for students. Any student who is interested in attending either event this year may encounter a hurdle due to the new policy added to the student handbook.

Per the 2022-2023 PHS student handbook, students must be in good standing in terms of behavior, tardies and school attendance in order to engage in privileges such as school dances. Similarly, students who administration deem as posing a threat to others may be restricted from participating in special events.

“We have a lot of students who have excessive [unexcused] absences but they feel they are allowed to go to Prom,” said Principal Ed Wagner.

Students with absences meeting or exceeding 10 days total during a semester are considered habitually truant according to Indiana code. Once those 10 days have been missed, if a student is not taking steps to improve their attendance, they may not be permitted to purchase a Prom or Morp ticket. Excessive tardies and behavioral referrals may also endanger a student’s ability to attend such events.

“We love to have fun events like Prom [and] Morp that build culture at our school for students. However, these events are a privilege and students must do their part to follow the policies put in place in our student handbook. According to our handbook, great attendance, responsible behavior and hard work represent essential habits for success. Our policies offer motivation and rewards for development of those habits and go hand in hand with our MTSS positive behavior intervention system at Paoli,” said Assistant Principal Adam Stroud.

MTSS refers to early release day activities and other incentives designed to encourage good student behavior and attendance.

The number of students who may be impacted by the rule is small, but administrators believe the effect of this policy on these select few could be great. The hope is students will be encouraged to improve their poor attendance with going to these dances serving as motivation. This rule would also apply to guests who are invited to attend by juniors and seniors.

“You can’t go unless you turn it around and show you care enough to build these essential habits for success. We want to build our students up with skills that will help them succeed in the future and reward them for their success,” said Stroud.

For any questions on the policy, refer to the student handbook or contact an administrator.