By Grace Gollihur, Editor in Chief and Emme Hogge, Managing Editor
On Wednesday, Apr. 15 El Camino student government representatives polled classrooms in order to determine whether or not Junior Prom and Senior Ball will be combined. After the vote was taken, student government advisor Shannon Fox met with administration and other teachers to discuss the situation. After deliberation, it was decided that both Junior Prom and Senior Ball will remain on the calendar for the 2026-2027 school year, but this is subject to change.
The combination of Junior Prom and Senior Ball essentially gets rid of Junior Prom as it stands currently. This means that students will have the opportunity to attend a formal dance in the Sacramento Public Library both their Junior and Senior year.
The separation of Junior Prom and Senior Ball is a long-standing tradition at El Camino, almost as old as the school itself. Junior Prom is held yearly in Apr., and takes place on campus usually in the cafeteria or front quad. Ticket prices typically range from $40 to $50; this year, they were $50 by the end of the sales period. These tickets pay for the expenses of a DJ and decorations. Additional funds may also be used to pay for food or drink to be supplied at Prom. This year they served dessert.
Senior Ball is held yearly in May at the Sacramento Public Library. This dance is significantly more expensive than Prom as the student government must also pay to rent out the Library ball room for the night, in addition to the cost of a DJ and decorations. To account for this, ticket prices are also raised, starting at $45 and increasing to $55 the week leading up to the event.
Even though these separate dances are traditional, there is no written rule that the student government must put on two separate dances. As of right now, ticket sales are down.
“The negotiation we came to was a placeholder for prom next year—students need to know this is what is at risk if the classes can’t get participation increased, or raise the money that they need,” Fox explained.
Essentially, the coming school year will be a chance for students to increase participation and raise more money. While this is not the only consideration for the decision, it was an important one.
Fox also wants students and faculty to know about the future of student government.
“We don’t want Student Government to be looked at as a singular class that’s all by itself—I want to be more inclusive. I want to have more of the departments represented—that is the goal, ultimately, but that’s not going to happen instantaneously in one year,” Fox said.
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