Pine-Richland Prom Can Be Costly Endeavor

It's prom time at Pine-Richland High School. Ka-ching!

That's the sound of the money being spent on this Friday's big event.

The prom is one of the highlights of a student's high school years, but it is a costly endeavor as well.

Tickets for the prom are $60 each and After Prom tickets run $20 a piece.

Add on the costs to rent a tuxedo – about $100. For the young ladies, you can factor in $100 to $600 for a prom dress.

Then there's bus fare, so to speak, because students are not allowed to drive to and from the prom. They can pay $25 for a round-trip chartered bus ride or get together a group to rent a limo, which can add on an additional $50 per student or more.

Add in flowers, new shoes, a few sessions at the tanning salon, makeup and hair, photos and students (or, more likely, parents) will pay in the neighborhood of $1,000 a couple for a one-night event.

That can pay for a whole semester’s books at college.

Is it worth it? 

This year 550 students have purchased tickets for the prom, according to Marty Trombetta, student activities coordinator at PRHS. “This is about the same as we have had for the last couple of years,” she said.

“City of Lights” is the theme for the prom, which will be held from 7 p.m to midnight at Heinz Field. The ticket pays for dinner (steak, chicken and pasta), dancing and entertainment that includes handwriting analysis and caricatures drawn by art teachers Ramon Riley and Vince Thearle.

Students are required to be driven by the bus, a limo or parents for the prom, according to Trombetta. Students must complete a permission slip prior to attendance and all students must follow the PRSD Discipline Code for the event.

One thing that is down this year is the sale of the After Prom tickets.

“We only have 200 students planning on attending this year. That is down by 100 from last year and we had really hoped to up our numbers from then,” said Trombetta. “This may be the last year we offer the After Prom because we just can’t afford to offer it for so few students.”

The After Prom is held from midnight until 3 a.m. aboard the Gateway Clipper Fleet. Tickets cover the costs of light snacks, soft drinks, dancing and the opportunity to be hypnotized.

The costs of the After Prom are supplemented by the Parent Support Group.

“It is a great event and we tell parents that it is safe, well-controlled environment for students, but they just aren’t attending,” said Trombetta.

She doesn’t think it is costs keeping students away from the After Prom.

“A lot of students are going to parties at their friends’ houses. Parents tell me they want to keep the After Prom, but unless they stop having parties, that isn’t going to happen,” said Trombetta.

As the parent of a senior herself, Trombetta knows how expensive the prom can be.

“My daughter just paid more for her prom dress than I probably paid for my wedding dress,” she said of her daughter, Tara, a senior.

Trombetta said that Tara had limited her expenses last year, knowing that this would be her senior year and her last high school prom.

“She wore a dress that had belonged to her sister’s friend last year,” she said.

Costs aren’t a factor for Ryan Hanahan, a senior from Pine.

“I wanted my girlfriend to have a special night,” he said. Ryan said he estimates he will spend $400 to $500 on his senior prom when all is said and done.

“My parents will pay for it because I don’t really have a job,” he said. In addition to the prom tickets and tuxedo, Ryan will be pitching in $25 to rent a trolley for transportation.

Like many other young couples in the district, Ryan and his date, Taylor Berresford, aren’t attending the After Prom.

“We are going to a friend’s house for a party. We already have plans and never even considered the After Prom,” he said.

Some parents like school board Director Robert “Bob” Necciai feel that the costs of the prom are something that should be looked at.

“It isn’t just the prom; I’m concerned at what we are teaching our children about the world and the prom is just one of those things,” he said, “Do they really need to go to Heinz Field for the prom? What are these kids going to expect in the real world?”

As a businessman worried about the costs of things, Necciai said he would never consider an expensive venue like Heinz for a meeting.

“I think that when we are paying for these kinds of activities out of our pocket, we need to be concerned at what it is costing families in our district,” he said.

Trombetta said that the district does assist students who may not be able to pay for the prom experience.

“We have one student this year who is having expenses paid for by the Parent Support Group,” she said. “We rely on our guidance counselors to identify the students who need financial assistance and it is handled very discreetly.”