Superintendent: Tolland Prom Permit Reminder Will Come May 1 Next Year

Superintendent William Guzman said that he will be reminding the school board and students to apply for a permit with the town for the traditional prom picture event on Tolland Green around May 1 of next year.

The new process follows this year's last-minute confusion about whether students and parents could take pictures on Tolland Green before prom.

Town Manager Steven Werbner explained that a THS class adviser or a class officer have traditionally been filing a permit through the town manager's office to hold the event, beginning around five years ago when his own daughter was attending THS.

There is no fee associated with the permit, he clarified, and anyone hosting an event on the Green has had to apply for a permit for years.

Public Safety Director and Fire Chief John Littell said that the permit is necessary to notify town officials so proper precautions and preparations can be made.

"It's such a tight spot," Littell said of the need to direct traffic around the Green, an area which he said has had its share of car accidents as well. "There's not a lot of parking, and it's bad timing with the traffic. You have to have enough staff helping the cars get in and out of there."

Littell said that last year, no permit was filed with the town. Tolland's resident trooper at the time, Sergeant Scott Smith, ended up directing traffic without back up and the area became gridlocked, Littell said.

Several town staff members and one state trooper directed traffic at this year's event, Littell said. Guzman said he ended up applying for this year's permit several days before the prom. The school district will be paying the overtime for the officer who helped out, Guzman added.

THS Principal Dominique Fox said that while the prom is a school event, the picture taking on the Green is not school-sponsored.

"We all want to keep all of our kids as safe as possible," she said, adding that she was glad the event was completed safely. She explained that the school does not apply for a permit, because school staff members are busy preparing for the prom at the venue and cannot be available to supervise.

Werbner said that town staff were looking into alternative picture locations, including St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church, after Fox had an announcement read at THS that the Green could not be used for pictures this year due to the permit issue.

Guzman said that the permit reminder next year will smooth out the process and keep it safe.

"Everyone was only concerned about the safety of the children," he said. "I give credit to the town manager and fire chief for their concern. The safety of the students and parents are paramount, and making sure that safety personnel were notified is the key issue."