After an alcohol-related incident at junior prom May 9, all students at Whitman-Hanson High School will have to pass a breathalyzer test before they are allowed into senior prom.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. John McEwan said he had been against instituting such a policy in the past, but the recent incident coupled with a disturbing trend of underage drinking changed his mind.

“In the past couple of years we’ve had a couple of serious alcohol situations,” he said.

The policy change was discussed at the School Committee meeting May 14.  The authority to institute such a policy lies solely in the hands of high school principal Ed Lee, but McEwan wanted the members of the school board to be aware of it in case they received calls from parents.  

“Many school districts do it,” McEwan said.

The principal of the high school is also the final authority on MIAA violations.  Strict rules that student athletes must sign before playing with a sports team say that not only will being caught with alcohol get a student kicked off the team, simply being in the presence of other drinking students will result in the same punishment.  McEwan said he is often asked to meet with parents on this issue although he has no authority to reinstate a student.

Students who refuse to take the test will be asked to leave the prom, he said.  The test will be administered by school staff and the school resource officers.

School Committee member Tom Evans didn’t disagree with the policy, but said he was saddened over the need for such a drastic step.

“We overprotect and we put them in a bubble,” he said.  “Kids need to fail sometimes … When are we going to make kids accountable.”

McEwan said he was in full support of the principal’s decision.  He also pointed out the irony that the Monday before the prom, high school students and public safety officials from Whitman and Hanson participated in a mock crash designed to show the consequences of drinking and driving on prom night.

“We need to constantly be sending a message that we take this seriously,” he said.

Senior prom is May 23 at the Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston.