Why are prom tickets so expensive?
Prom is an event that many high school students look forward to, but what happens if students can’t afford it?
The overall price of attending prom can be steep if you include the cost of clothing, hair and makeup, a limo and dinner.
April 8, 2022
Manitou Springs High School’s prom will be held on April 22 at The Hillside Gardens, and prom tickets are currently 70 dollars.
There are many factors that go into determining the price of a prom ticket. Which venue is used is a main factor, and last year, because prom was at the high school, it brought ticket prices down to 40 dollars. This year the cost of the venue will cause ticket prices to go up.
COVID19 caused a lot of financial instability for families, which is why the school tried to make prom more affordable last year. “We knew it would be kind of a surprise this year to go back to the original price, which is why we did the step scale of 60 dollars, 70 dollars, 80 dollars [based on the time of purchase],” said Alice Stoneback, the leader of the prom committee.
Comparatively, Manitou’s prom ticket prices are still much higher than most surrounding schools. Rampart’s tickets are 45 dollars, Coronado’s tickets are 50 dollars, Liberty’s tickets are 50 dollars and Discovery Canyon Campus tickets are 55 dollars.
A big reason Manitou’s prices could be higher is because the school is smaller. With less people to contribute, prices have to go up to still be able to afford everything. Stoneback also said that extra money from tickets goes into funding school events like Green and Gold Day.
There are some options for students who can’t afford a ticket. “We’re going to hold a contest for promposals and give away 6 free tickets to 3 couples. If they film their promposal we’ll choose the best 3 and then those 3 couples will get free tickets to prom and if they’ve already bought tickets we will refund them. The deadline for that is April 15th,” said Stoneback.
Another way to save money is to visit the NHS Mustang Boutique in the Media Center from April 11 to April 15 for a free prom gown and other prom attire.
Even with this contest, the cost of prom might still be prohibitive for some students. The prom committee has a solution for this problem.
“If there are kids that want to go to prom and do not have the finances just come directly talk to me, and we can usually work something out,” said prom coordinator Angie Glass. “It’s a case to case basis, but we do have funding for kids that need it.”
The majority of students at MSHS are unaware that this is an option for them. After asking around nobody knew that this was available.
“I think that 60 dollars is a reasonable price, but knowing what the money is used for, I think the prices going up are too expensive considering all of the students who can not afford it,” said Emily Waite who is on the prom planning committee.
Prom tickets are supposed to bring in 12,000 to 14,000 dollars worth of revenue. This will cover the 7,000 dollars needed for the venue, DJ, decorations, and food which leaves an extra 5,000 to 7,000 dollars for the school to use. According to the prom committee the Green and Gold Day budget is 4,000 dollars.
Is Prom too expensive?
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