EDINA

Senior High School

6754 Valley View Road Edina Minnesota 55439 phone: 952-848-3800 fax: 952-848-3801

December, 2014
Edina High School Parents,
Dances at Edina High School provide our students an opportunity to have fun in a safe environment. Over the
past several years, we have seen a downward trend in alcohol related incidents at our dances. However, a
concern continues with student behavior on party buses to and from school dances. While this is not a school
issue directly, it is our desire to work with you, as parents, to provide safe environment around our school
events. Following are some ideas and steps on how we can work together to provide safe opportunities for
our students.
Our reality is this, several of us have served other high schools where we mourned the loss of students due to
alcohol related accidents. This is an experience, as a school and community, we wish to avoid. While it is
important to remember that underage consumption is still a violation of the law, at the end of the day, this is
an issue of safety. Therefore, lets take this opportunity to work together to create safe environments for our
students.
The purpose of this letter is to:
1. Define what we will continue to do as a school which is providing a safe
environment for our students at our dances.
2. Communicate recommendations to parents and families, working
jointly in partnership, to create a safe environment for all of our students.
School Plan:
1. We have 4 uniformed officers present at our dances.
2. We have 2 administrators at our dances.
3. If a student is caught using at a dance or event, they will not be allowed to attend the next two
dances.
4. Random breathalyzers are used at all dances.
Parent/Community Support:
Over the last few years, we have seen an upward trend in students using party buses as a means of
transportation to and from school-sponsored dances. This is a parental choice; as a principal or school, we
neither endorse nor condemn the use of these buses. Some parents believe that their students, who are less
experienced drivers and perhaps distracted by the excitement of the night, are safer when they are not behind
the wheel of a vehicle. Parents may also feel like this is a safe, fun and easy alternative to driving their
students to and from the dance (and any before/after dance activities) themselves. These are all
considerations you must make as a parent.
Before you hire a party bus to transport your students, we ask that you please consider the following myths
surrounding the use of party buses:

 I hire the driver to chaperone those on the bus and ensure no illegal activity occurs. The company
provides the vehicle and the driver THATS ALL. The driver/company is NOT responsible for the
conduct of those on the bus unless it disrupts the safe operation of the vehicle. Most rental
agreements include some language that include something similar to, Client will indemnify XYZ Buses
of any and all costs incurred that are associated with any legal action resulting from underage
possession, distribution, or consumption of alcohol including but not limited to fines, court costs, and
attorney fees.
The driver will not allow alcohol or other substances on the bus because it is illegal. Again, in
addition to the above statement regarding chaperoning, party buses fall into an exception of the
Minnesota Statute which addresses open bottles (MSS 221.012 sub 26) and also do not fit the criteria
for Social Hosting or Open House Party violations.
The driver will make sure the belongings they leave on the bus are safe. We have received reports
of items being stolen from party buses. The driver has no way to know who belongs on the bus and,
again, the contract usually spells out that the company is not responsible for lost or stolen property.
Party buses are safer on the road than cars. It takes almost nothing to convert an old bus into a
party bus and there are very limited regulations for these vehicles. They often do not receive annual
inspections and have minimal maintenance standards. Also, it is possible the driver may not have the
appropriate license for the vehicle they are driving.
Theyre going to drink anyway. At least theyre not driving. Parents should not be complacent to
the negative effects and potential consequences of their childs chemical use. In addition to the legal
and/or school ramifications of this, this behavior can quite possibly have potential harmful and/or
dangerous effects. Parents should have a zero tolerance for chemical use.
If you decide to use a party bus as a means of transportation for your son/daughter to and from dances,
please consider the following:
1) CHOOSE A REPUTABLE COMPANY
To ensure that the party bus you are contracting with is appropriately licensed, consider the following
before signing a contract:
Ask for the carriers U.S. DOT number
Find out if the carrier holds a current MN operating license (call 651-215-6330)
Check the federal database for a providers registration and reports of serious safety violations
at www.fmcsa.dot.gov
2) LOOK AT THE CONTRACT
The details are always in the fine print. A few suggestions:
Ask to see the contract ahead of time, which sometimes may be viewed online
Although an 18-year old student could sign a contract, require this contract be reviewed and
signed by a parent/guardian
Some companies require students and parents to sign off on a code of conduct and/or have
rules about not allowing backpacks, coolers or beverages on board

A legitimate bus contract generally has a clause stating that any illegal activity is grounds for
immediate termination of the ride. Reputable companies will enforce this contract.

3) ENSURE RESPONSIBLE SUPERVISION

As responsible as most of our teenagers are, they are still teenagers. Proper supervision of the party
on wheels is THE SINGLE BEST WAY TO ENSURE SAFETY! Obviously, the safest way to do this would
be to have a parent or two on the party bus. Additional considerations:
A parent greeting the group as they get on and/or off the party bus at each of their locations
Check bags and coats as teens enter and/or exit the party bus
Insist all parents have an itinerary for the evening that may not change as well as contact
information for all other parents of students on the party bus.
Speak with the parent who has signed the party bus contract
After Parties
After parties are normative post-dance events in our community. It makes sense to get students to a home to
prevent accidents after large events, such as school dances. I have talked with several parents in an effort to
identify best practices during the after party. They suggested the following.

Speak with the parent of the home where the after party will be held. It has been common
practice for the students to drop their bags at the after party prior to going to the dance with
full warning the parents will go through their bags. Do not allow bags that have not been
checked.
Be present!
Take time to take food downstairs to say hi check in to make sure all is well.
Keep the size of the after party manageable.
Share the responsibility, invite other parents to help chaperone.
As a parent, be a good role model at the after party.

At the end of the day, student safety is a priority for our school and community. It is better to bring this to the
forefront than feeling remorse over the loss of a child and then questioning if we did enough to keep our
students safe. Thank you for your time in reading this letter and please lets work together to keep our
students safe. Yours in,
Hornet Pride

EHS Administrative Team & School Resource Officer