By Per Peterson
Tracy Area High School juniors and seniors recently completed a survey about this year’s prom, and an overwhelming number of them want a parent-run prom that would take place at The Caboose, with a downtown grand march.
“I call it the ‘Caboose Choice,’ and it’s something that the parents would be taking over,” TAHS Principal Kathy Vondracek said. “It starts with a grand march downtown, without wearing masks. It would be a formal walk-through one direction, then a fun walk-through on the way back.”
The grand march would be cancelled if the weather doesn’t cooperate, Vondracek said. Dinner, the dance and after-prom would follow at The Caboose. Masks would be off only during dinner.
Sixty-four juniors and seniors favored that option, compared to 16 for the “school option” with dinner at The Caboose, a grand march downtown, and the dance and after-prom at the school (masks would be required at the school except for the photo opportunity). The third option, which only eight students voted for, would have dinner at The Caboose, with a grand march at the school; because it’s indoors, there would be two grand marches to adhere to social gathering limits in the gym.
All juniors and seniors voted, regardless of whether or not they planned on attending. Prom is scheduled for Saturday, May 1.
PROPOSED CAPITAL OUTLAY
• Supt. Chad Anderson gave the first reading of the school district’s proposed Capital Outlay for FY22. The total amount of requested items equalled $549,877. The total for all revenue is $1,392,830, leaving $842,953 in remaining revenues after Capital Outlay proposals.
“That puts us very similar to what we had for revenues remaining last year,” Supt. Chad Anderson said.
Some items in the Capital Outlay include: $12,000 for the JMC Student Management System (which will replace the current Instant Alert System); $11,058 for Buildings and Grounds (ESSER II funds can be used to purchase improvements included in this category); and $25,165 for Secondary School. The Technology section totaled $83,029; the District Library Area total was $6,050; and the Athletics/Activities requests totaled $18,000.
There were $357,914 in requests under the school district’s Long Term Finance and Maintenance proposal. The district gets $260,000 in LTFM funds from the state. Under the LTFM category is a $205,000 request for a large-scale bathroom remodel project at the elementary school (ESSER II funds can be put toward that project). The board also discussed the request for new bleachers on the east side of the high school gym ($43,832). There are no safety issues with the current bleachers, but Anderson noted that they are getting worn. New bleachers would match the blue one on the opposite side of the gym but wouldn’t have seat backs.
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.