Attendees of this year’s prom celebration are encouraged to dress their best and align with this year’s Starry Night theme. The dance will be held at the Graduate Hotel in Iowa City on Saturday, May 3, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tickets will be available during all lunches starting Monday, April 28, and extending through Friday, May 2, and are priced at $25. Only juniors and seniors are permitted to purchase tickets, but underclassmen may attend as a guest of an upperclassman. Students who are in good standing at another high school or a 2024 graduate may attend as a guest as well. 

In both cases, before the purchase of tickets, current West upperclassmen must fill out the outside guest form that has been signed by a parent or legal guardian and the guest’s high school administrator. Forms can be found in the main office or in your student email. 

Tickets are not the only thing students and guests need to attend the dance. “To attend prom, all students, whether West High students or guests, are expected to demonstrate consistent, respectful behavior and good attendance,” Principal Mitch Gross wrote in an email sent to students on April 20. 

Any student who has received a major behavior referral or more than three unexcused absences from April 21 to May 2 will not be eligible to attend prom.

For the third year in a row, Party After Prom will be held at West High from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. This is a parent-planned event that is free for all juniors and seniors, regardless of whether they went to the dance or not. Students can enter through the front door until 11:00 pm when admission closes.

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Party After Prom Committee

Information about this year's Party After Prom. Photo courtesy of The Weekly

A fun and safe option for after-prom festivities, this event will include a variety of free activities for students to engage in. This includes an obstacle course, glow-in-the-dark dodgeball and many opportunities for students to win cash and other prizes. Students can also participate in two escape rooms that require signing up in advance.