Hillsboro High Students Reject Homecoming Court

There will be no Homecoming Court at Hillsboro High School this year, the student government has decided. They informed school staff in a letter last week.

"We are sure many of you have seen on the news and on social media recently that schools across the country have been grappling with issues surrounding Homecoming and Prom Courts," the letter - by Senior Class President Jennifer Menendez and others started.

"How do these traditions support inclusive practices in our school? How can we truly celebrate important traditional events on campus? How do we make traditions inclusive of all students? Where do our gender non-conforming students fit in ? How do we make sure courts represent the student population of our school?"

Menendez writes that she and others on the student council have been asking the same questions and have concluded the only logical answer is to abandon the process.

Menendez says that there are four key reasons for the decision:

*Homecoming originated as a chance to have alumni welcomed back to their home for a reunion football game. The focus on alumni at Homecoming has been almost completely lost, and that is a tradition we would like to bring back during Homecoming festivities.

* Courts are based exclusively on popularity . Holding up a select few students based on ambiguous social criteria and social standing does not reflect the values of our school. Hilhi aims to be a place where all students can have their strengths, talents and achievements showcased. Our goal is for students to be consistently recognized for the great things they do in our school and our community.

* Courts do not support gender-inclusive practices. Some schools in our district and surrounding areas are resolving this issue by having Homecoming “Royalty” and taking gender out of the mix completely. However, in discussion, our student leaders brought up other equity problems with this that are just as pressing. A Homecoming “Royalty” still does not address the most important issue which is that Homecoming courts, regardless the genders of students elected, do not reflect the values of our school.

* Student Council officers repeatedly asked the question “Are courts inclusive of all students?” The answer was consistently no. The Senior Class Officers for years have been spending a tremendous amount of time, energy, and money to honor a select few students. The event used up valuable class time for voting. The Student Council used funds to purchase expensive regalia that could be better spent on whole-school activities and events. More and more, students turned in empty ballots, with dozens more students not even invested enough to cast a vote. Because Hilhi’s Homecoming Court has been an event only for seniors, all other grades were left out and thus have had very little connection to the event. This lack of engagement was most indicative of a change needing to occur.

The student council concluded that while traditions are important, it's "time for us to let new traditions develop that are inclusive and equitable for all students."

The school's homecoming dance is Saturday, October 15 at the high school.

Photo Hillsboro High School