Hours for school dances?

[NotUrsula]

Curiosity question: if your kids have recently been in high school (past 5 years or so), what were the typical hours for school dances (on-campus or off?)

I live in Misouri. My DS never went to any of his HS dances, but my youngest DD's school seems to me to have really short/early hours for dances; typically 6:30 or 7 to 9-9:30 pm.

I went to HS in the Deep South back in the 1970's, and ours had much later/longer hours, normally about 7:30-midnite, though our typical thing was to go out to dinner before the dance, so we usually didn't arrive at the dance itself until after 8pm. Senior Proms always had a sponsored afterparty that went until dawn (one of the local florists always sponsored it; they would use one of their greenhouses, and served breakfast before everyone went home.)

We also always had prom a day or two after graduation, so that behavioral issues were no longer something the school had to deal with.

So, as it's getting to be the season, what's the norm where you are?

 

[Minnesota!]

My son went to his first one a few weeks ago. He's a senior and decided to see what they are all about

It went from 7-11. He was home by 9. Said it was lame.

 

[FreeTime]

Our DD’s usually were from 6:30-9:30. Prom a bit later.

 

[tvguy]

Just checked my High School Website, Junior and Senior Prom are 7 pm to 10 pm.

 

[tcufrog]

My 9th grader has a dance tomorrow night. It's from 6-9 pm.

 

[RedAngie]

Mine were from about 730 to 11, AFAIR. DDs’ ended earlier, maybe 10.

My prom was at a hotel ballroom, maybe 8 until 1am. Then various students held small after-parties, then the HS cafeteria had breakfast from about 4 to 6 am.

Everyone crashed and later the next day the Big Thing was to go to the Jersey Shore for the rest of the weekend.

 

[Ellie008]

7-10pm for the upcoming dance. It isn't prom though, just a dance. I don't know what prom hours will be. My own prom went until 11 I think.

 

[PrincesCJM]

High school teacher in Maine here. We don't have many dances at my school - usually 3 a year including prom. Door open at 7 (and you must enter by 8). Homecoming goes to 10. prom goes to 11?

 

[mjkacmom]

I think prom is 6 - 10, a full dinner us included, then kids go to their prom houses, either down the shore or poconos for a long weekend. Porcini houses are nicer but shore houses have more kids nearby, and from other schools. You need a wristband to get into your house.

 

[holden]

Dd14’s school doesn’t have regular dances, just prom. Prom is 7-11pm.

 

[tvguy]

Went to the local coffee place today where most of the employees are High School or College students. It is across the street from a High School. I asked. Apparently noise ordinances prohibit any school event going past 10 pm. So dances have to end by then, and football, soccer and baseball on the lighted fields have a 10 pm curfew.

 

[rowan1813]

The 4 big dances that the high schools in our district host go from 8-11pm. Harvest and Spring Fling (what used to be Sadie's) are held in school gyms. Winter Formal and Prom are held at our convention center (only space in town large enough to hold all of the kids from the schools in the district).

 

[E&Cmom]

My kids haven’t had high school dances. My eldest didn’t even have a grad dance last year due to Covid. Luckily this years kids are having it.

I remember dances finishing at 10pm when I was high school

 

[Colleen27]

What are the teen drivers' licensing rules where you're at? Some of the districts around me started using 9:30 as an end time to avoid any question of kids getting cited for violating the "no driving after 10pm" rule in the graduated drivers' license process, because while going to/from a school event is an exception some police departments have construed that very narrowly so students can get in trouble if they go out of their way to drop their date off, stop for fast food or gas station snacks, etc. The earlier end time gives kids a chance to get home before their drivers' licenses turn back into pumpkins.

The school DD20 went to still does 6 to 10, including dinner at the venue, but it is a private school and the dances are held at a rotating set of halls around the area we draw from so not many kids drive themselves. They carpool with parent drivers or hire a limo/party bus. DS24 never went to school dances so I have no idea how the local public school does them.

 

[design_mom]

My daughter's attending two proms this year. Both are 8-11pm. The homecoming dance was the same hours. There were a couple of other dances, and I think those were 7-10pm. There are no school-sponsored afterparty events for prom (or graduation).

Edited to add: Our state also has a graduated driver's license policy. There are restrictions on teens driving after midnight (although I believe traveling to/from a school event would qualify for an exemption), but I do think having the kids "home" (or at least not the school's responsibility) before midnight may be a factor.

 

[Minnesota!]

What are the teen drivers' licensing rules where you're at? Some of the districts around me started using 9:30 as an end time to avoid any question of kids getting cited for violating the "no driving after 10pm" rule in the graduated drivers' license process, because while going to/from a school event is an exception some police departments have construed that very narrowly so students can get in trouble if they go out of their way to drop their date off, stop for fast food or gas station snacks, etc. The earlier end time gives kids a chance to get home before their drivers' licenses turn back into pumpkins.

The school DD20 went to still does 6 to 10, including dinner at the venue, but it is a private school and the dances are held at a rotating set of halls around the area we draw from so not many kids drive themselves. They carpool with parent drivers or hire a limo/party bus. DS24 never went to school dances so I have no idea how the local public school does them.

16/17 can't be on the roads between 12a-5a during their first 6 months of being licensed, according to MN Law. So, I have set midnight as the curfew for when he has to be pulled into the driveway, even though he has been driving longer than that.

Nighttime Driving Limitations​

For the first six months of licensure: Driving is prohibited midnight – 5 a.m.

Exemptions:

• Driving when accompanied by a licensed driver age 25 or older.
• Driving between home and place of employment.
• Driving to/from home and a school event for which the school has not provided transportation.
• Driving for employment purposes.

The nighttime limitation is lifted after the first six months of licensure.

 

[soccerdad72]

I just went and looked it up, as my son got asked to go to Senior Prom (he's a Junior) by a friend of his - Prom is 6-11pm. I think afterprom goes from like midnight to 3am or something like that.

Most of our dances are until 11pm, I believe. Homecoming this year was earlier, because they did it outside and I think there's noise ordinances in the neighborhood they're in.

 

[mjkacmom]

NJ has some strict driving laws to the extent that most are ignored (tags on license plates identifying driver as under 18, not allowing more than 1 passenger until 18, provisional license at 17).

 

[tzolkin]

Most school dances have been around two hours and they can vary on the timing. The middle school might do one from 5:30-7:30 or they sometimes do them right after school and pick up at 5p.

High school prom is 7-10p

Interesting that some have brought up driving restrictions after midnight. Here it's 9pm.

 

[Colleen27]

16/17 can't be on the roads between 12a-5a during their first 6 months of being licensed, according to MN Law. So, I have set midnight as the curfew for when he has to be pulled into the driveway, even though he has been driving longer than that.

Ours is 10p until 5a and those rules are in place until a kid has been licensed for at least 6 months and reached the age of 17, so a lot of kids have restrictions in place for most of their high school driving.