Twenty seniors will attend tomorrow’s school board meeting to argue that the

punishment they received after their senior prank is inappropriate and should be reversed. After

the seniors’ prank on April third, they were suspended and banned from an all-night senior

party.

“The seniors are welcome to speak at the board meeting, but the board should not

reverse my decision,” principal Vinita Haygood said. “I gave ample warnings to the senior class

that I would not tolerate any sort of prank that disrupts school.”

About 20 seniors released almost 1,000 balloons in the hallways between first and

second period on April third. The senior prank caused a total of 150 tardies; students are

allowed three tardies each semester before they must serve a 30 minute detention.

“The hallways were chaotic and super loud during the balloon release,” math teacher

Grace Killen said. “The seniors didn’t mean any harm, but the prank was disruptive.”

All students involved in the prank will speak at tomorrow’s board meeting to protest what

they believe to be an unfair punishment.

“We didn't vandalize anything,” senior Ruby Kanur said. “We didn’t hurt anyone. We

blew up a few balloons and released them.”

The seniors and their parents believe the punishment is too harsh for the crime and the

seniors say they expected a lighter punishment.

“We really thought she would just make us pick up the trash and serve a few detentions

— at the most,” senior Alfred Refugio said. “But we didn’t even get to pick up the balloons

because she went ballistic and suspended us that day.”

Some of the parents are on the side of the seniors and they plan to attend the board

meeting alongside their students.

 “When my daughter told me what they were doing, I thought it was a cool idea,” mother

of Ruby Kanur, Milly Kanur said. “These kids have worked hard for 12 years. They deserve a

little fun.”

A freshmen math teacher says it was the seniors’ timing that was off, and if the balloons

had been released later in the day, the prank would have been more appropriate.

“They should have released the balloons at the end of the day,” Killen said. “That would

have been much less disruptive.”