Some Tri-Cities parents organizing rogue Homecoming dances to avoid COVID precautions

Dozens of Kamiakin High School parents are outraged over new rules for school dances, including showing a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination.

Some parents were upset enough to take matters into their own hands, organizing their own dance at an airport hangar and saying, “No masks, vaccine or test needed.”

The high school in Kennewick was the first in the Tri-Cities to hold a dance — Saturday’s event was the first Homecoming since 2019 — because schools were closed because of the pandemic.

But with the recent local spike in new COVID infections, the Benton Franklin Health District issued recommendations for organizing a safe dance.

“Rather than recommend that we cancel dances, due to the high case rates in the counties, Benton Franklin Heath District developed guidelines to allow schools to have dances while keeping students and staff safe,” said Robyn Chastain, the Kennewick School District’s executive director of communications and public relations.

The six-page document from local health officials includes suggestions, along with Washington state’s current rules.

“All extracurricular activities and events have the potential to increase risk of COVID-19 transmission,” the health district said. “However, these activities and events are often important to social and emotional health and increase school connectiveness for students.”

The school posted a notice Wednesday to its Facebook page saying that to attend the dance students needed to show they were vaccinated or that they’d had a negative COVID test within two to three days of the dance.

To help the process, Kamiakin High offered four rapid testing sites, including at the gate of the dance. A negative test at any of them meant students could attend.

And students need to have a parent’s consent form on file with the school before they can the rapid test.

In addition to the test, students will need to wear a mask. That’s part of the Washington state order from Gov. Jay Inslee that people attending outdoor events with more than 500 people must wear masks.

Superintendent Traci Pierce said they received the guidance from the Benton Franklin Health District on Friday, Sept. 10, and had been working on the details.

“This is not just a Kamiakin specific issue. There are dances coming up very shortly,” she told the Kennewick School Board last week.

But the restrictions were enough to upset parents who called in to the school board meeting to complain and posted on the Kamiakin Facebook page.

“This is a joke,” one parent wrote on Facebook. “I am not having anyone test my child or me just to go to a dance.”

Others questioned why there was a need to put the restrictions on teens who they believe get less sick when they catch COVID.

Health district officials said that 29% of all new positive COVID cases in the Tri-Cities in September were in children ages 5 to 19.

Some parents were upset about the short notice on the Kamiakin dance rules and the fact that the consent form was hard to find.

The announcement spawned word of some private Homecoming dances.

One post on social media with a link to buy $5 tickets read: My family will be throwing our own at the Richland Airport. No masks, vaccine or test needed.”

But Port of Benton officials told the Herald big parties are not allowed in the airport hangars under FAA rules.

On Saturday, other parents were concerned about hearing that an alternative Homecoming event had been organized at a Pasco hotel.

Homecoming 2021

School districts statewide have been struggling with whether to hold Homecoming dances.

It’s unclear whether Pasco High School will have additional requirements for its Homecoming dance Oct. 2.

But students at Richland’s 2 high schools decided to have other activities and events to celebrate Homecoming, said Communications Director Ty Beaver said.

“This includes the election and crowning of a Homecoming court at each school’s respective Homecoming game, a fireworks display and other activities that are still being finalized,” he said.

“Any events will have to follow requirements already in place due to COVID-19, such as masking indoors or in large outdoor gatherings and physical distancing,” he said.

However, one social media post was advertising an unsanctioned “Richland Homecoming” at a Horn Rapids golf course site on Oct. 9 for $15 a ticket.

While the rate of new COVID-19 cases may be plateauing again in Benton and Franklin counties, it remains high, said health officials.

There were 1,045 new cases per 100,000 people over the two-week period ending on Sept. 16.

For 15 to 19 year olds, that rate is 1,411 per 100,000 during that time.

While some districts aren’t having dances, Kennewick parents and students wanted them.

“As a district, we continue to prioritize safety, and we continue to follow the recommendations of BFHD,” said Chastain. “All of our schools are working with their leadership students and staffs to follow the recommendations. Since the Kamiakin High School dance is this Saturday, they are having to quickly communicate about and implement the recommendations.”