Deer Lakes seniors push back against homecoming rule prohibiting outside guests

Deer Lakes High School is facing heat from some students and parents for a newsletter sent Monday informing them students won’t be allowed to bring outside guests to homecoming.

“It’s our senior year. We never got a full high school experience because of covid, and it would be nice to end it with the people we want to end it,” Deer Lakes senior Cierra Eldridge said in a Facebook post.

This year’s homecoming is scheduled to be held outside at the Bairdford Park Pavilion on Oct. 9. The dance will be moved inside if it rains or the temperature drops below 60 degrees. Masks will be required if the dance is moved indoors.

Deer Lakes spokesman Shawn Annarelli said the administration made the decision to prohibit guests who don’t attend district schools.

“The school district more than anything else is looking forward to providing the best homecoming experience as possible while also ensuring the safety and security of volunteer staff and everyone in attendance,” he said.

Eldridge and fellow senior Grace Hartle made a petition on Monday in opposition to the policy. The petition had received over 200 signatures as of Tuesday night.

In opposing the policy, some students pointed to football games where they said masks and social distancing are not enforced. The mask mandate does not require students to wear masks while engaging in a sports activity or event indoors or outdoors, and fans — many from outside the district — aren’t required to masks.

“I don’t think it’s right to give one event certain rules and the other none,” Hartle said.

Jamie Leuthauser, a parent from West Deer, said she supports the students.

“It’s absolutely unnecessary. Covid is everywhere,” she said.

High School Principal Pat Baughman declined to comment on the matter Monday, saying he had not received any feedback from parents or students about the rule.

Eldridge and Hartle said they both have boyfriends who graduated from Deer Lakes. They said many other students are in similar situations or have partners from other schools or ones who are working a professional job.

Eldridge said students would be open to alternatives that accommodated both parties because she understands the school is doing its best to prevent covid.

“If we were allowed to bring people, most people would be OK with masks. We’d do everything we could,” she said.

The pair hopes the petition results in the homecoming rule being changed.

“The more signatures the better. We want to show the school board, this is what I think and what a bunch of people think for homecoming,” Hartle said.

The school began requiring masks to be worn in schools when Gov. Tom Wolf’s mask mandate took effect Sept. 7. The district has reported 31 covid cases since its first day Aug. 25, according to the district’s covid tracker.