Wear that crown! King & Queen proposed to return for prom

County high schools elected Homecoming 'Royalty Courts' after gender issues

  • High schools were told to put “Royalty Courts” up for election during Homecoming; the School Board intends to make a change for spring Proms.
    High schools were told to put “Royalty Courts” up for election during Homecoming; the School Board intends to make a change for spring Proms.

    Parents of high schoolers: was your son or daughter chosen Homecoming King or Queen by their peers this year?

    We’re going to guess “No” … and that’s without even looking at the votes.

    Osceola County’s public schools, as a matter of policy written last year after at least one school reportedly had a female student run for Prom King last spring, did not elect Homecoming kings and queens this year.

    As those schools have held Homecomings this month or will in the coming week or two, schools were told to put “Royalty Courts” up for election.

    At the Oct. 10 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff explained that, during prom season last spring, there were concerns raised in the community that students of one gender were elected to Prom King or Queen of the opposite gender.

    “The response to that (by former Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace) was unilaterally eliminating King and Queen in favor of a Royalty Court,” Shanoff said. “We had schools begin the process of Homecoming court nominations under the rules established by Dr. Pace. That’s when I found out about the new rule.”

    He noted that rule is compliant with new laws regarding gender pronouns.

    “Rather than hold one school out of the process and change mid-stream, in talking with (Board attorney Frank) Mr. Kruppenbacher, we agreed to remain in this posture through this Homecoming cycle.”

    Shanoff did state that, during an upcoming rule-making cycle, he intends to put forth new rules that will re-instate the traditional King and Queen titles for the spring 2024 prom season that also comply with state laws.

    Members of the audience spoke on the topic during the Board meeting’s public comment period, asking the School District to “stand on the tradition” of electing the King and Queen.

    “How much more is going to be taken away from students who when through lockdowns, attended school online and were kept away from their friends, had to wear useless masks,” one woman stated. “These are memories that will be lost forever. It is time for the board to stop the nonsense and take a stand against this Marxist, socialist agenda.”