City schools cancel prom

♦ Graduation programs are still up in the air.

Lesly Reyes, a senior at Rome High School, was beyond prepared to celebrate the accomplishment of graduating high school.

She bought her prom dress a while ago at a store in Birmingham, Alabama. She’s also already purchased her cap and gown for graduation.

Then, in early March, when the entire state of Georgia virtually shut down, she was hit from all sides by the aftermath of school closures because of the coronavirus.

She’s out of work at Cici’s Pizza, and school is closed for the rest of the year. Then on Sunday, prom was canceled.

“I started crying,” she said of the announcement. “I have my dress already, and it was pretty expensive. It was going to be my first prom. I didn’t know all of this was going to happen, and I had hope.”

She said she told her boyfriend she still wants to take pictures in her dress, but she’s not even sure where to take them. Originally, she planned to take pictures at Berry College, because the campus is a beautiful place. But due to the virus, Berry has closed the campus to the public.

No decision has been made yet on graduation.

The coronavirus outbreak has upended end-of-year activities for graduating high school seniors across the country. With Gov. Brian Kemp ordering schools closed for the remainder of the year, Rome Superintendent Lou Byars said it isn’t possible to have a prom. Floyd County Schools has said prom is delayed.

“We did not realize that we would be having flexible learning days for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year,” Byars said in an email to students and staff. “As a result, many things have had to be canceled or postponed.”

Luis Belteton, who participates in JROTC and the band at Rome High, said he already bought his tuxedo and had big plans for prom. The news of prom being canceled hurt him.

“I started tearing down,” he said. “I was excited to enjoy it with my friends before we graduate. I just started breaking down. I was going to go all out.”

He said he planned to make a jacket for his friends that had pictures of them from all four years at the high school.

The school system has also canceled all remaining field trips, along with summer camp.

Seniors like Esha Sundrani are sad about prom, but also worried about graduation, which Byars said may be postponed.

“They better give us our graduation,” she said. “I’ve focused most of my life on education, so I need to go

across that stage. That’s what I worked hard for, to go across that stage. That’s what I put my whole life toward.”

All three seniors said they would participate in a prom that’s scheduled later, all sharing similar ideas of having a fun reunion once the shelter-inplace has ended.

While he did not respond to comment about why prom couldn’t be rescheduled, Byars acknowledged in his email that it’s a tough decision to have to make

and how unfortunate this is for the class of 2020. Seniors felt his message gave them hope.

“I am sorry your time in Rome City Schools will end this way. I know it seems unfair and it is,” Byars said to the seniors in the email. “However, overcoming challenges is what your class has always had to do. You were born just after the terroristic attacks of 9/11 and represent the generation of hope. You have always demonstrated the ability to overcome.”