Racine high school seniors may still get to go to prom

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RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- With schools now closed for the rest of the year in Wisconsin, high school seniors will be missing out on their final days.

“It’s hard,” Taylor Knaus, a senior at Case High School said. “It’s not the same, but everyone’s going through it.”

COVID-19 restrictions have been emotionally tough on many, but especially for some high school seniors.

“I probably had my last day of high school and didn’t even know it at the time, so it’s kind of heartbreaking just to see everything end that way,” Abby Cook, St. Catherine’s High School Senior, said.

For Taylor the stay at home order means no more in-person classes and no more helping out the special-education students.

For Abby, it means no last season of softball, no mission trip, and no spring musical.

“It’s definitely been a really big bummer,” Abby said.

But, there is one thing Racine high school seniors may now have to look forward to: prom.

“That was really exciting to hear,” Taylor said.

Racine Founders Rotary Post Prom is now re-scheduled for August 8. It was originally planned for May. The Special Needs Prom will be August 9.

“It’s a huge deal,” Co-Chair Kelli Stein said. “It’s been going on since 1954.”

Organizers say the event is not just for high school seniors, but the entire community. It brings together 9 Racine High Schools with a motorcade, red carpet, and dance that the community comes together to watch. For many Racine Seniors, the night is a rite of passage.

“I would say going into high school, prom was one of the things I was most looking forward to because in Racine they do it so well and so big,” Abby said.

Stein said safety is their biggest priority and they are already discussing ways to implement some social distancing at the event.

“They’ve lost so many things they’ll never get back so we really tried very hard to give them at least one tradition that they can look forward to,” Stein said.

As for graduation, RUSD released this information:

Graduation will be held virtually on the original dates listed below (more details TBD):

REAL School - Friday, June 5
Walden III - Friday, June 5
Academies of Racine at Park - Saturday, June 6
Academies of Racine at Horlick - Sunday, June 7
Academies of Racine at Case - Sunday, June 7

Additionally, RUSD will hold in-person graduation ceremonies for each high school as follows:

REAL School – Monday, Aug. 3
Walden III – Monday, Aug. 3
Academies of Racine at Park – Tuesday, Aug. 4
Academies of Racine at Horlick – Wednesday, Aug. 5
Academies of Racine at Case – Thursday, Aug. 6

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