OHS moves forward with plans for prom, commencement

Ozaukee High School in Fredonia will hold both a prom and graduation ceremony.

The junior prom will be held Saturday, May 15, at Elderberry Manor in the Town of Trenton.

OHS was the only school in the area to hold a prom last year, albeit in August, during the Covid-19 pandemic after a survey of parents, students and staff showed widespread support for holding the event.

At the time, OHS Principal Mike Leach said the prom and graduation were two “rites of passage” and traditions the district wished to honor.

Leach said no survey was taken this year, but that students made it clear to him and other administrators that they wished to move forward with plans for a prom.

“Students approached me, and based on where our numbers were locally, we felt comfortable,” Leach said. “Barring a surge of some kind, we feel comfortable.”

He said the event will be held mostly outdoors, lessening concerns related to the coronavirus.

“A grand march and all the other elements of prom will be included,” Leach said. That includes a dinner for members of the junior class.

Post-prom plans are still in the works, being prepared by the Parent Teacher Resource group.

OHS could again be one of the few local schools to hold a prom this year.

In February, Port High Principal Thad Gabrielse told parents in an email that both the junior and senior proms scheduled for the beginning and end of May were canceled due to concerns related to Covid-19 transmission and the fact that two key precautionary measures — wearing masks and social distancing — would be all but impossible during a formal dinner and dance.

Grafton and Cedar Grove-Belgium high schools are still discussing whether to hold their proms.

Wisconsin Virtual Learning, the Northern Ozaukee School District’s online charter school, will hold an in-person graduation May 22 with Ozaukee High School’s commencement held May 23, Leach said.

Leach is also principal of WVL.

Details on the two commencement exercises are still being worked out, he said.

Both events will be livestreamed for those who prefer not to attend, he said.

In addition, Leach said the district plans to hold an in-person summer school that will also include virtual learning options through WVL.