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Parents press Upper Dublin board to relocate proms, citing safety concerns and petition
Summary
Several parents told the Upper Dublin School District board there is a petition of more than 500 signatures asking the district to move junior and senior proms from venues they say pose safety risks; district officials acknowledged the concerns and said they are reviewing options and will follow up.
Parents and recent graduates addressed the Upper Dublin School District board on Dec. 15 urging a review of prom venues and related logistics, saying current locations and commute routes raise safety concerns for teen drivers.
Resident Jen Chaffetz told the board she helped organize a petition she said has "over 500 signatures" asking the district to relocate junior and senior proms from the Hilton on City Avenue and a Bensalem venue. Chaffetz said the venues and nearby routes have higher crime statistics compared with Ambler and that parents have repeatedly raised concerns to administrators without seeing change.
"The petition that we started a few weeks ago has over 500 signatures," Chaffetz said, and she pressed the board to reconsider multi-year venue contracts and to look for closer alternatives that neighboring districts use.
Former student Grace Chaffetz, a 2025 graduate, described driving to prom on City Avenue and Lincoln Drive and said Lincoln Drive is "an extremely narrow winding road" that is not appropriate for tired, excited, late-night teen drivers.
During public comments, Jenny Vitella and other parents recommended broader public engagement — a town-hall format — so all stakeholders can hear the same information and join planning for prom and post-prom events. Vitella also raised a separate concern about athletic busing: the swim team faced early dismissal that caused students to miss class and then wait hours before meets.
Superintendent Dr. Smith responded that administration is "working through" prom planning, has met with parents, and will follow up when there is new information. Board members urged continued student involvement in planning and discussed transportation constraints and improvements in bus-driver staffing.
The board did not take formal action at the meeting to change venues or contracts; parents asked for clearer timelines and broader stakeholder meetings to resolve logistics.
