As the gowns for prom have grown more and more elaborate, so have the decorations and themes for the dances.

Before Lakeview's prom, held May 2 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in New Castle, teacher Debbie Houston was busily organizing the decorations. A group of students and parent helpers were setting up for the big dance the Thursday before the big day.

Waving her hands in the air, Ms. Houston directed the draping of buntings, marked out the spot for the backdrops and supervised place settings.

The theme was "Stairway to Heaven," and decorations included gold stars, ivy accents on candle centerpieces, and a staircase donated by Mosely Construction.

About 20 students and parent helpers worked frantically to get everything ready.

Ms. Houston said planning for the dance began early in the year. A committee met twice monthly, she said, gathering resources, getting ideas for the dance and making plans.

Other schools schedule their functions at banquet halls, like Tiffany's in Brookfield, where Kennedy Catholic High School hosted its "A Moment Like This" dance; Hickory High also hosted its prom at the Brookfield banquet center, themed "Wish Upon A Star." Hubbard High School kids went on a cruise on the Gateway Clipper in Pittsburgh for their prom, while other schools still keep it close to home and hold the dance in the high school gymnasium.