Jared Springer gets a new prom

May 11, 2016
Jared Springer

Jared Springer

An Arroyo Grande High School student who is battling a brain tumor has become a local celebrity after being kept out of his senior prom by the Lucia Mar school district. The community is now organizing a replacement prom for him.

Lucia Mar officials stopped Jared Springer, 18, from going to prom, citing a district rule prohibiting students from attending extracurricular events if they are absent from school for a medical reason. The district informed Springer’s parents about the rule about 48 hours prior to Saturday’s prom. A district official said Springer could not attend prom unless he first received clearance from a doctor to return to school and his family met with district officials to discuss logistics.

Springer had been absent from school because, about three weeks ago, he fell out of his wheelchair and broke his hip. Still, Springer’s nurses had cleared him to go to prom.

Instead of attending the prom, Springer went with his date to dinner at the Madonna Inn. The prom took place down the street from the hotel restaurant.

Media coverage of the Lucia Mar’s decision to ban Springer from his prom sparked outrage on the Central Coast. On Tuesday, the district held a press conference in which Superintendent Raynee Daley apologized for what she said was a communication mistake in her office that prevented Springer from going to prom.

Community members responded by teaming up to organize a new prom for Springer. The effort is being spearheaded by Brighten a Corner Ministry.

Springer’s new prom is scheduled for May 27 at the Mountainbrook Church in San Luis Obispo. All upperclassmen at Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo, Mission, New Tech and Coastal Christian high schools are eligible to attend.

Dinner will be provided at the prom, and there will be an after-party in the church parking lot with food trucks.

Springer has reportedly received offers from numerous girls who are seeking to be his prom date.

Tickets to the event cost $5. Local students can purchase tickets through their schools. The prom organizers are accepting donations.

Brighten a Corner Ministry can be contacted at (805) 215-2983.


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“Superintendent Raynee Daley apologized for what she said was a communication mistake in her office that prevented Springer from going to prom.”

The fact that she said it was an issue both with communication and a lack of medical documentation that the days he was absent from school were in fact medically related is a load of horseshit. One as a school don’t they teach communication. And two you know that this student is in your district and he has this medical problems, why the hell do you need a piece of paper to prove anything. This was a fumble for the home team here and I wouldn’t accept any kind of apology from any of the bureaucrats that head that district. And yes it might be time to get a new superintendent who’s qualified to do the job with an ability to COMMUNICATE effectively!!!


“Superintendent Raynee Daley apologized for what she said was a communication mistake in her office that prevented Springer from going to prom.”

No, Raynee, it was not a communication mistake that school districts have, it’s quite often a “personnel mistake” – as in, we have far too many people in education that should not be there; as such, to keep themselves busy and relevant, many dopey rules and policies are enacted. This just highlights one of many of them.


A “communication mistake?” Rather a lack of communication that led directly to discriminating against this young man. He doesn’t need a belated apology, he needed to go to his prom….and you need to resign due to dereliction of duty.


Hopefully they will ban all school district officials from attending the private prom.


Good for the community. Screw the bureaucracy. I hope the kids attend in full force!


I’m pleased to read that the community is working hard to make amends for the stupidity of their school district bureaucrats (the NICEST thing I could call them.).


It redeems hope of humanity to hear about this kind of thing. Working past the blunders of bureaucracy.


Bureaucracies (in this case, a school district) seem to go out of their way to put up roadblocks, create idiotic rules and regulations, and basically stand in the way of progress.


But thankfully private groups, charities, and individuals can–and do–actually make things happen.


Kudos to Brighten A Corner Ministry, Jared’s family and friends, and to CCN and other media outlets for informing the community about this situation.


Cudos to the community members for organizing this event for Jared! Given the circumstances of Jared’s disability, it’s too bad the school district couldn’t bend the rules just a little bit and let him attend the prom he wanted to go to. In fact, it seems pretty inflexible that they didn’t try.


Amen!


Now all we need is a new superintendent.


I say get rid of them all. Damned progressives!