High school homecoming - how much will you spend and who pays for it?

[CdnCarrie]

Homecoming isn’t a thing in our province.
Only formal dance in school is the grad dance at the end of June fur the grad banquet/dance.
No idea what that costs as my kid’s was canceled due covid. But I guess nice outfit and a ticket. Maybe $150?$200?

Is homecoming the same as prom?

 

[Jnjtrio]

Youngest daughter senior year she was nominated for Homecoming queen and won. So it ended up being more expensive about $300. Previous years maybe $100 to $125. Senior year was really expensive...prom court, theater & debate nationals, college application fees etc.

 

[sasywtch]

Homecoming isn’t a thing in our province.
Only formal dance in school is the grad dance at the end of June fur the grad banquet/dance.
No idea what that costs as my kid’s was canceled due covid. But I guess nice outfit and a ticket. Maybe $150?$200?

Is homecoming the same as prom?

No, homecoming is usually a festivity around one of your school football games during the season. The students vote for their "court" (prince and princesses) and the king and queen. In our school, 9th,10th and 11th grades voted for their prince and princess of their class (they only got 1 each). The seniors had 4 prince and 4 princesses of which a pair were named queen and king.
Since we shared a football stadium with another school, our homecoming was always on Saturday night. So that Friday, we had a rally in the gym where the king and queen were crowned. On Saturday morning, there was a parade down our towns' main street with convertables with the court, the band from high school, junior high and one of the elementary schools had a band and the floats. Each class made a float that had something to do with our mascot and the rival school's mascot and the winning float was announced during halftime at the football game. For example: (ps....our class won all 4 years we were there) We were the Knights. We were playing Foothill Mustangs. The movie the Godfather had just come out. Our float had a horse head dangling with red blood with a huge knight and sword. The saying on the float was, we made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Sounds gross but it was a good float. During halftime, the prince/princess/king and queen come out onto the field during the band's halftime performance (they are dropped off in their convertable) and they announce the winner of the float. After the game is the dance back at the school gym. Most probably wore jeans and those v neck sweater vests (which I saw in WalMart today, OMG 70's are coming back LOL)


Did anyone else have a homecoming for basketball season? We did but it was called Sois Chavalier (???sp) Same exact as football but instead of a float, we made arches that each grade made for their prince/princesses.

 

[slo]

When my DD24 went to homecoming it was not a formal event.
When my DD19 went to same HS, homecoming became a formal event. Since my DD isn’t into going to dances, it cost me nothing. I do know what others paid for dresses, and it was $500+ . Add that to shoes, hair and makeup and now we’re talking about people spending $800-$1000. INSANE! Personally, I feel like it’s all about the moms trying to one up each other on Facebook to show they spent more and did more than others. All dances around here has gotten out of control in regards what people spend, but hey….whatever….that’s not for us.

 

[DisneyHardin]

When I was in high school 26 years ago in Kentucky - Mums were a thing for Homecoming, but they sure as heck weren't $350.

I only went to the homecoming dance my senior year. I got a new dress, but it was just a "Church" dress and not a fancy dress. I was in the band, so I had to go to the football game and didn't have a whole lot of time between the game and the dance to get ready, so there was definitely no fancy hair/makeup.

 

[kdonnel]

Seems very wasteful to me, for 70 years sharing stadiums worked just fine, and besides, they only got used 3 days a week during football season. Now they get used 1 day a week during football season.

Each high school has its own stadium here and has for as long as I can remember. They get used a-lot, way more than 1 day a week during football season.

Lacrosse is held on the same field/stadium as are the JV football games.

Since each stadium is also capable of hosting track and field events, those are hosted there as well.

It is rare that I drive by the high school near my house during the school year and don't see the stadium lights on because some event is being held. During the week and during the weekend it is more than likely being used.

The fields were being used so much that the grass was really suffering. The school district started a program to replace all the fields with artificial turf so that it was not necessary to start limiting events.

 

[kdonnel]

Ummm... $350 for a MUM? What is so special about a mum that it costs $350? Around here, girls would be insulted if they got a mum!

It's interesting to see/read about different customs.

https://texashighways.com/culture/how-homecoming-mums-became-a-texas-tradition/

I had only heard it as a Texas tradition but it apparently exists as a tradition in several other states.

Here is a mum that probably cost more than $350




Some more reasonable sized mums


Apparently there is a male version, the homecoming garter.

 

[ronandannette]

OK, so these pictures are confusing. These mum things - they’re some sort of costume? If one is wearing that, what’s the point of an expensive dress?

 

[kdonnel]

OK, so these pictures are confusing. These mum things - they’re some sort of costume? If one is wearing that, what’s the point of an expensive dress?

Someone from mum country will have to weigh in but I believe they are not worn the entire night. And depending on the area of the country with the tradition the mums may be much smaller.

 

[Minnesota!]

Those mum things are weird, and at the risk of offending Texas, tacky as hell. I know, tradition....but, why?

 

[mom2rtk]

Senior year my daughter's homecoming fell close to Halloween so they opted to make it a costume event. She and 2 of her friends went as Powerpuff Girls. Cheap outing.

 

[aprilgail]

Do y’all not live in mum country?

I can’t remember what my son spent on clothes for homecoming, but it was nowhere near the $350 he spent on his girlfriend’s mum (I think we spilt the cost).

OMG someone mentioned these mum things a few years back and I googled it- I was shocked that girls would actually agree to wear those hideous things LOL. Whoever came up with that must have been a practical joker LOL.
Homecoming is not a big deal here- there is a football game that basically just parents attend, no one is going to see a high school football game unless your own kid is playing in it and then there is a dance that evening in the school gym but kids don't get really dressed up for it- some wear jeans, others pants or regular dresses.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I had only heard it as a Texas tradition but it apparently exists as a tradition in several other states.

Here is a mum that probably cost more than $350

I had heard about them too, maybe from
this board. So it’s supposed to be like a giant corsage? And boys are expected to buy them for their dates? Are they trying to outdo each other? I can’t imagine wearing something so huge like that and moving around with it. What do they do with them after homecoming? Are they made with real flowers?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Each high school has its own stadium here and has for as long as I can remember. They get used a-lot, way more than 1 day a week during football season.

Lacrosse is held on the same field/stadium as are the JV football games.

Since each stadium is also capable of hosting track and field events, those are hosted there as well.

It is rare that I drive by the high school near my house during the school year and don't see the stadium lights on because some event is being held. During the week and during the weekend it is more than likely being used.

The fields were being used so much that the grass was really suffering. The school district started a program to replace all the fields with artificial turf so that it was not necessary to start limiting events.

Around here they share stadiums and have a complex for the district.

The district I started in has 1 complex and 1 high school that has a stadium with 5 high schools. The district I grew up in has 2 stadiums with 5 high schools. The other big school district has 1 complex and 1 high school that has a stadium with 5 high schools.

They can have practice fields, the newest high school in the district I live in does so it's common to see the lights for that reason and it does have a track built around it but it's not a stadium built for games.

The stadiums usually do track as well. The complexes allow for multi-sports in the same location like soccer, baseball, softball, etc. Of course there's also a lot of athletic complexes being built around my area too for soccer and baseball.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I had heard about them too, maybe from
this board. So it’s supposed to be like a giant corsage? And boys are expected to buy them for their dates? Are they trying to outdo each other? I can’t imagine wearing something so huge like that and moving around with it. What do they do with them after homecoming? Are they made with real flowers?

A corsage was enough for me making sure it wasn't itchy or getting in the way, I honestly can't imagine walking around with something so huge either even for a short time.

 

[Mysterian]

https://texashighways.com/culture/how-homecoming-mums-became-a-texas-tradition/

I had only heard it as a Texas tradition but it apparently exists as a tradition in several other states.

Wow, mums. These make an unfortunate person look like Lisa Frank vomited all over a Mardi Gras float. Are there any high-heeled Crocs to go with these?

 

[Colleen27]

Someone posted on our community Facebook page information on one local High Schools Homecoming. Admission is $8 for students, $10 for everyone else......High School Sports used to be free, but you have a bargain at $2. But they do have a lot more expenses here anyway. We have 9 High Schools and 3 Football Stadiums, so 3 High Schools shared each stadium About 10 years ago they decided it was harming the school spirit by making them share, now the High Schools all have their own stadiums, stadiums they have to pay to maintain. Seems very wasteful to me, for 70 years sharing stadiums worked just fine, and besides, they only got used 3 days a week during football season. Now they get used 1 day a week during football season.

Our stadium is shared between the two high schools in our district and even that poses quite a few scheduling challenges. It isn't just football, though between the two schools there are five football teams - varsity and JV at both as well as freshman at ours. There's also boys and girls JV and varsity soccer at both schools, boys and girls JV and varsity track at both schools, varsity lacrosse at the bigger school, plus marching band and cheer performances/competitions. Our athletic directors kind of hate the shared stadium because any event that needs rescheduled is a major headache.

I was in high school when the idea of sharing a stadium between districts fell out of favor and a big part of the problem, in our area at least, was that transportation was starting to be outsourced and needing to provide buses to home games as well as away was an expense and hassle the district couldn't/didn't want to undertake. But since the district has (had?) rules in place prohibiting students from driving themselves, and graduated license restrictions and parental rules all but negate the option of carpooling with teammates, it was decided that an in-district stadium was necessary.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Interesting to learn about customs in other regions. I don’t know of any high school around here that has a “stadium”. It’s a football field, with bleachers (sometimes only on one side). Games don’t draw enough people to have a stadium. No lights, though some districts are now starting to get them so they can play night games. HS football here has traditionally always been played on Saturday afternoons. If the team makes it to the county championship, they’ll play at a local university’s stadium.

 

[CdnCarrie]

High schools here don’t have stadiums. High school football is not s big deal.
They just play in the field behind the school.
Only parents attend really.

 

[kymom99]

Coincidentally, my sons first homecoming was 9 years ago today.

Saw the Facebook memory come up.

I couldn’t believe it was the second Friday of the school year. He had a couple friends from grade school but hadn’t had a chance to make any new friends. He wanted to go but I thought I was going to have to take him and have him walk in alone. As it turned out, his friend who had a date invited him and another boy to dinner at his date’s house. The girl’s parents offered that his friends could come. I was so stressed out. The dinner invite came the day of. I hadn’t had a chance to find out what people wore or go shop or have something cleaned.

He went to a small private school. I was on the school board. I mentioned to the principal at the next meeting that as a parent of a new freshman, having homecoming so soon was not welcoming at all. He talked in circles about conflicts, yadda yadda. As a private school, we struggled to increase enrollment. Word gets around. The next year, a record low number of incoming freshmen enrolled. The principal was replaced. New principal was amazing. Enrollment increased.

I know, I got off topic. But some things are hard to forget.