Homeschooling became popular in the 1970s in the United States, and the early 2000s saw explosive growth in the number of children who started homeschooling. New homeschooling parents might have specific concerns. If you’re a homeschooling parent or plan to be one, you might be wondering whether homeschoolers can attend fun activities such as prom.
Homeschoolers can go to prom. They can go to prom at a public school as a guest of a public school student or attend a prom organized by a homeschooling group in their town. Additionally, if there’s no such organization, they can arrange their own prom with other homeschoolers in the area.
The rest of the article will delve more deeply into homeschool students and proms. It will explain how homeschoolers can go to public school proms, how to find homeschool proms in your area, and how to organize your own homeschool prom.
Can Homeschoolers Go to Public School Proms?
Prom is a special evening that nearly every high school student looks forward to attending. It serves as the final goodbye when students get to spend their evening with their friends before they graduate and go to college. Being a student at a public school guarantees a prom; however, can homeschoolers attend public school proms?
Homeschoolers can usually attend the prom as someone else’s guest at a public school. This, however, depends on the rules set by the public school. Some public schools in certain states might allow their students to bring a guest with them, while some may not.
If your homeschooler is interested in attending a public school prom, here are some things you may need to keep in mind:
Check if You Need To Fill Out Permission Forms
Some public schools might require their students to fill out permission forms for guests and approve them by the administration in charge of the dance. Although it varies depending on the school, these forms will generally ask for details about your homeschooler. These details may include:
- Your child’s name
- Age
- Phone number
- Name of their guardian
- Address
- Other general information
They usually also require a signature from both the student and their guardian.
To find out whether a public school allows guests, you can check out the school’s website or ask a teacher or the principal.
Check the Rules of the High School
Most public high schools usually have an age restriction for their guests, generally 20 or 21 years.
Some public high schools might require their students to be in good standing to attend prom or invite a guest. A good standing might require a certain GPA or disciplinary standing. The student your homeschooler is going with to prom will have to check the requirements they need to fulfill to invite a guest.
Additionally, it’d help to research the public school’s behavioral expectations from their students and their guests. Guests will have to adhere to the rules of the high school.
There might be rules such as bringing an ID, arriving and departing only with the student hosting them, or complying with the high school’s dress code. These rules should be checked well in advance to avoid any last-minute chaos.
Keep a Budget
If your homeschooler is interested in attending a high school prom, you should purchase a ticket at the earliest. Tickets from prom usually go on sale months in advance, so you should keep an eye out for that.
Going to prom can be expensive. The cost of the outfit, tickets, limousine, prom gift, and dinner, can add up. Students usually fund their prom expenses through car wash or bake sale fundraisers or selling items online like books, clothes, or candy.
Are There Any Homeschool Proms?
You might be wondering if there are proms explicitly organized for homeschoolers. If so, you’re in luck.
There are homeschool proms. Many homeschooling organizations and groups organize proms for their students that aren’t affiliated with public high schools in any way.
Here’s how you can locate homeschooling organizations in your area:
Check on Facebook
Many homeschool organizations promote their events on Facebook. You can go to the events section on Facebook to search for homeschool proms near you. Facebook groups are also an excellent way to search for organizations. You can type your location and the keyword “homeschool” in Facebook’s search bar.
Search on Google
The simplest way to find homeschool proms in your town is to look up “homeschool proms near me” on Google. You can type other keywords on Google, such as the name of your city or the year. An example would be “New Jersey Homeschool Prom 2022.”
Use Homeschooling Websites
There are some websites you can use to find homeschool organizations and support groups in your neighborhood:
- Homeschool World – This is a platform for the readers of Practical Homeschooling magazine. In addition to many homeschooling resources, their website provides a database of organizations and support groups categorized by states and countries and is updated regularly.
- The Homeschool Mom – This platform offers homeschool resources online. You can select your state and find homeschool groups nearby on this website. It also has information on other extra-curricular activities such as field trips and more.
- Home School Legal Defense Association – This is a non-profit organization that aids homeschooling families through legal representation. Their website has a tool that you can use to locate one of their groups in your area.
Can Homeschoolers Organize Their Own Prom?
Prom is a great way to create memories with your friends before you graduate, and nobody wants to miss out on the first formal event of their teenage life.
Homeschoolers, along with their guardians, can organize proms. If there are no homeschool proms or public schools in your town that allow students to bring guests, this might be the best option for your homeschool student.
Here’s how you can do that:
Form a Committee
Gather other homeschooling parents in your town to put together a committee of around five to ten people responsible for organizing the prom. It’s essential to have a committee in place that can discuss the budget and other rules of the event. Choose members that are just as enthusiastic and motivated as you to host a homeschool prom.
Create a Budget
There are many ways you can fund your homeschooler’s prom. The budget will largely depend on the number of students attending the prom. If you don’t have a big budget, you can plan to keep the event small with only ten to 15 homeschoolers.
If you want to open the prom to all the other homeschoolers in your town, you can decide on a bigger budget. You can research the number of homeschoolers in your city and determine the budget accordingly. Fundraisers are an excellent way of gathering money to organize prom.
Pick a Location
You’ll be required to put down a deposit and sign a contract for the location you book. Here are some of the locations you may want to consider:
- Church halls
- Ballrooms
- Large rooms in restaurants
- Outdoor pavilions
- Convention centers
Along with finalizing the date and location, you’ll need to finalize a DJ or a band, depending on your budget and preferences. You can come up with a dress code and a theme for the prom. You can also consider hiring caterers and photographers. If your budget doesn’t allow that, you can look for volunteers.
If you want to keep the event open to all homeschoolers in town, consider dietary requirements such as vegans, kosher, halal, nut allergies, etc.
Promote the Event
Once you have all the logistics figured out, you can promote the event. You can do this by creating a Facebook event and asking parents and your homeschoolers to share it. You can also print flyers and distribute them in your neighborhood.
If your budget allows, you can create a name for your event and set up a website for it. You can sell tickets on this website. Email newsletters are a great way to keep everyone up to date on everything they can expect at the prom. Tickets usually range between $50 -$150. You may set rules such as bringing an ID, age restrictions, and dress code.
Organizing your own prom is a great way to connect with other homeschooling parents in the town. Once you have a committee in place, you can also organize other social events with them for homeschoolers, such as clubs, field trips, and more.
Conclusion
Just because your child learns at home doesn’t mean they have to miss out on prom. They can be a part of prom in three ways:
- Your homeschooler can attend as a guest of a public school student. Be sure to check the public school rules in advance to know whether they allow guests.
- Your homeschooler can attend a prom organized by a homeschooling organization.
- Lastly, you can organize your own prom if the first two options don’t work out. Form a committee with other homeschool parents, set a budget, book a location, and promote the event.