LAKE WORTH, Fla. — Just days before one of the most magical nights for a high school senior, there is dance disappointment at a local school.
Park Vista Community High School changed the venue for Saturday’s prom, which means tickets would be limited. Now, a number of students have been told the dance is sold out and they can’t go.
The school’s principal spent Monday fielding calls from outraged parents after they already spent money on dresses, tuxedos, and transportation, only to be told many students can’t go to prom.
But the school tells me they have been warning students tickets were limited for months.
“I don’t always find dresses that fit me perfect, so to find this it was like golden,” said Madisen Maring, who bought her dream dress for the senior prom but won’t be able to wear it. “I’ll never be able to say that I went to prom when I wanted to go all throughout high school.”
The senior at Park Vista paid for her prom ticket before Spring Break, but when she went to turn in her prom contract last Thursday, she was put on a waiting list. To make matters worse, her boyfriend was able to get a ticket.
“It’s like upsetting because I wanted to enjoy it with her and I’m not going to be able to do it definitely does upset me,” said Alejandro Vergara, who added several of his friends also can’t go to prom.
This year the school’s junior/senior prom is being held at Wycliffe Golf and Country Club, which holds about 500 people. The district says there is roughly 1,500 junior and senior students, but not all are eligible for prom. The school says it made it clear in December tickets were limited, and students had to buy the ticket and get the contract in before April 3rd, or before tickets sold out.
Madisen’s mom is now disheartened and disappointed.
“Now there’s a lot of kids that are out a lot of money as well as their parents,” said Jen Maring. “Everybody goes back and remembers their senior prom, and a lot of the seniors will not be able to enjoy the memories of their senior year, and the biggest one is your senior prom.”
The school district says tickets went on sale March 4th, and students were given nearly a month to buy a ticket and get the paperwork turned in. It also says it reminded students tickets were first to come first served on social media, it handed out flyers, made a call to parents and announced the details during daily announcements.
Madisen now wants the school to reconsider, so she can experience prom and wear her red dress.
“I wish there was something the school would do, maybe come up with a way to let everyone go, but I don’t think that’s going to happen so I’m just sad,” Madisen said.
The district says anyone who paid for a ticket online and can’t go will be issued a refund.