[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with comments from New Canaan Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Luizzi.]
New Canaan High School administrators have cancelled the annual Homecoming Dance due to an apparent lack of interest.
In an email sent Friday afternoon to parents, Senior Class Advisors Paul Gallo and Kim Palmer said: “Due to insufficient ticket sales the Homecoming Dance is being cancelled. Ticket refunds will be available during lunch on Monday and Tuesday at the refund table being set up in the cafeteria.”
Reached by NewCanaanite.com, New Canaan Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Luizzi said that attendance at the Homecoming Dance “has been dwindling for years.”
“Certainly for the last five or seven years it has been declining steadily,” he said.
The school needed to sell about 250 tickets to break even and when they sold 100, a decision was made to cancel it.
“In my experience it’s not unusual in towns that the proms are still very well attended, but the regular dances are maybe not as well attended as they were seven, 10 years ago,” Luizzi said.
It isn’t clear when was the last time the Homecoming Dance was cancelled. The administration earlier this month announced that it was cancelling the pep rally, citing safety concerns for students who in the past had shown up drunk to the annual event. It would have been held today.
The Homecoming Dance had been listed among the Spirit Week events still on the books in an email sent by NCHS Acting Principal Dr. Veronica LeDuc on Sunday.
“While we expect all of our students to have a great time and to contribute to the feeling of school spirit that the Student Coalition is trying to generate, if a student were to violate the intent and purpose of Spirit Week by disregarding the above or acting inappropriately throughout the day he/she may be sent home and may be excluded from the rest of Homecoming activities,” LeDuce said in the email. “As with all of our dances, we will be breathalyzing all students who attend the Homecoming Dance to help keep our students safe. Truly, it is a joy to see the many creative ways students express their pride in our high school. As long as we focus on celebrating our pride in NCHS, supporting one another, and we don’t disrupt classes, I am confident we’ll have a fantastic and memorable week.”
Kids aren’t going because of Breathalyzer. Seems obvious and I don’t blame them. Guess what, kids are still going to be drinking Sat. night. They just won’t have to dance to break up imbibing or designated drivers taking them from the dance. Very shortsighted to Breathalyze kids at school dances. Not like generations of high school kids have not been drinking before school dances.
I take exception to this decision. Many students inclusive of my 10th grade daughter purchased new clothing for the event and made plans with fellow students. With a $78,000,000 annual budget paid for by the taxpaying parents of the students one would believe breaking even or profiting from the event is not goal number one. To cancel and disappoint our youth over a few thousand dollars is petty and unacceptable!
S. Ericson, spoken like a genius who has lived in town for two months. I love the continual argument of “they are going to do it anyway.” Let “them” do it anyway (at S. Ericson’s house) and hold the dance for those that spent the money and chose to have a good time ex alcohol. Roy is right, by canceling the dance we are just further conforming to the thought and spirit that drinking must occur to have a good time. Grow up.
Steiner, I won’t go into my entire lineage but I’m a fifth generation resident, son of a teacher in town and grandson of a police lieutenant.
It sounds like burying your head in the sand is working out for you and I wish you the best of luck continuing your life in that manner.
Kids have been drinking as long as there has been kids and alcohol. All banning them from dances does is move them elsewhere and gives them more time to drink instead of a 3 hour break at the dance.
Mr. Abramowitz, your point is salient and reasonable, canceling the dance was short sighted with or without Breathalyzers.