HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE) – Some Hobbs High School seniors are upset after the school changed it’s rules on who is eligible to go to prom. Students claim over half of students invited, can no longer go, despite already purchasing gowns and tuxes. “When we had found out about this..people were mad and I understand I mean not just us students, parents were too,” said Dayeli Alvarez, senior at Hobbs High School.
Hobbs High School administration changed up the criteria for students this year, switching up who can go to prom. “They want us to be in a higher standard and I don’t think that’s wrong it isn’t but to set rules in the middle of the school year isn’t fair,” said Alvarez.
Under the school’s new rules, students must have a GPA above 2.0 and fewer than 13 unexcused absences. “I understand where they are coming from but not everyone can afford to go to the doctors,” said Alvarez.
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Senior, Dayeli Alvarez, made the first round of cuts in September but when the second list came out last month but when the second list came out last month her name was no longer on it along with a good chunk of her classmates.
“If it was 75% of people were able to go than of course the rules are understandable and reasonable because 75% of people were able to go but that is less than half of the people can go and that’s when I think how is it reasonable if not even half is able to meet the criteria,” said Alvarez.
So Alvarez is offering an alternative. “Why waste all this money when I could just go ahead and make an event,” said Alvarez.
Planning her own prom on the same night, something the community is rallying around.
“The person that is giving us the place for that day is Aaron’s Party Barn,” said Alvarez.
Catering, music and pictures all covered by local businesses and parents are signing up to chaperone.
“If they are graduating why not be able to go to prom,” said Annette Valdez, Hobbs High parent.
So everyone can close out the school year together. “I just want students to know that they’re welcome to come even though maybe they didn’t have good attendance or maybe they just didn’t want to go to school because they were having a bad day or just because they couldn’t get up but they have good grades,” said Alvarez.
KRQE News 13 reached out to Hobbs High School about this story but did not hear back.
