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Some proms are back, with masks, testing and distancing

Grace Gardens Event Center employees check temperatures of young people attending prom at the Grace Gardens Event Center in El Paso, Texas on Friday, May 7, 2021. Around 2,000 attended the outdoor event at the private venue after local school districts announced they would not host proms this year. Tickets cost $45. (AP Photo/Paul Ratje)
Grace Gardens Event Center employees check temperatures of young people attending prom at the Grace Gardens Event Center in El Paso, Texas on Friday, May 7, 2021. Around 2,000 attended the outdoor event at the private venue after local school districts announced they would not host proms this year. Tickets cost $45. (AP Photo/Paul Ratje) Grace Gardens Event Center employees check temperatures of young people attending prom at the Grace Gardens Event Center in El Paso, Texas on Friday, May 7, 2021. Around 2,000 attended the outdoor event at the private venue after local school districts announced they would not host proms this year. Tickets cost $45. (AP Photo/Paul Ratje)

By MICHAEL CASEY and CEDAR ATTANASIO / Associated Press 5 min read

BOSTON (AP) – A minor league baseball stadium. A negative coronavirus test and absolutely no slow dancing.

Those are just a few of the unusual requirements for a high school prom happening in Manchester, New Hampshire, later this month, one of many school districts across the country struggling to navigate holding the formal dance in the second year of the pandemic.

Students only found out early this month that the proposal to hold prom May 28 at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats stadium had been approved, after some school board members expressed reservations the event could spread the coronavirus. Along with socially-distanced dancing, students are also being encouraged to get vaccinated before the dance.

“It would be awesome if we could all have a prom and be together. I mean I haven’t seen some of my classmates in over a year,” said Allison Hermann, a senior who is among the Central High School students who helped plan the prom.

“This is one of the only times that we all get to share together. Just being a high school senior is very symbolic so the fact we haven’t gotten the chance to be together yet is really sad,” she added.