Students Required To Pay Massive Bill For Senior Prank Damages To School
A senior prank didn't go off as planned, and now those found guilty of decimating the school are faced with major consequences.
As high school seniors embark on their last stint of public education during their 12th-grade year, there are trademark parts of that experience that have long been tradition. From proms, senior walks, skip days, and graduations, it is a big turning point for teenagers preparing to enter adult life. A major part of that experience to many is senior pranks. A longstanding custom, they are gags meant to leave a mark on the school from the exiting class. But sometimes, they go too far, as is the case at a Texas High school with a senior prank gone awfully wrong.
According to reports from USA Today, high school students took a senior prank much farther than school officials had originally expected. Now, some of those involved may be facing criminal charges. If and when the school can identify those responsible, they also plan to require them to pay for the hefty bill in damages.
It all started when a group of seniors asked the school for permission to pull off a senior prank. It is common practice for seniors wishing to participate in these types of stunts to first get permission from school officials, as to make sure no disciplinary action will be taken. According to reports, the students detailed the gag as a simple antic that would cover the school’s walls with Post-it notes – something fairly easy to pick up with no signs of property damage. However, that is far from what actually occurred.
Last Wednesday, May 18th, students filled the school’s 300,000 square foot campus to pull off the senior prank. But what school officials found in the aftermath was much more than Post-it notes. The walls were painted, furniture was decimated, and the school’s fire extinguishers were set off throughout the building. Reportedly, nearly every single surface of the campus needed to be laboriously cleaned and repaired –from ceiling to floor.
Because of the extensive damage and clean-up needed, the school had to be canceled Thursday and Friday, the last two days of the school year. Furthermore, the fire alarms were triggered after the extinguishers were set off, and the city’s fire and police departments were dispatched. School officials made note that no one was hurt during the senior prank.
The damage and clean-up bill is said to be in the thousands, and school officials are seeking out those responsible to fund the massive bill. Not all the students involved in the senior prank are believed to be at blame for the massive prank. One senior, Katelynn Mabrey, spoke to Fox4 News, discussing how embarrassed she was by the acts of some. She expected the prank to go off as planned, only involving the sticky notes.
The school made note that they are working around the clock with the police to identify the students responsible for destructing school property during the senior prank. Additionally, the school’s principal, Heather Albuquerque, addressed the families, staff, and students that aided in the clean-up in the aftermath. It might not have been the senior prank many students and staff expected, but it will surely never be forgotten.
