Tauranga schools have warned students they will scrap the glitzy social event of the year - the school ball - if after-parties are organised.
The traditional pre-ball and after-ball parties are in the past as Bay college principals red-card the student-organised events.
Otumoetai College is taking a tough after-ball stance after last
year's scare, in which an after-ball party for up to 600 revellers was scrapped after a police warned of a $20,000 fine.
This year, the student-run ball committee at Otumoetai will be told there will be no parties.
"It's a no-go," principal Dave Randell said.
Otumoetai teens are not banned from enjoying pre-ball events but would be greeted at the ball venue by Mr Randell who would bar intoxicated teens.
"I have done that every year and I have never had to stop anyone, we just ask them to be responsible," he said.
Tauranga Girls' College principal Pauline Cowens said her school had had no pre-ball or after-ball functions since 1999, when she was appointed as principal.
Tickets were sold on the condition that there are no functions organised.
Tauranga Boys' College students were also banned from organising pre and post ball parties.
Last year police were forced to close down an illegal after-ball bash arranged by Tauranga Boys' students in a marquee near the Wairoa River.
Police stepped in because access to alcohol had been included as part of the ticket price.
Principal Graham Young said it was simple: "Any official school function cannot have alcohol involved. We are not prepared to take responsibility for any after-ball."
Mount Maunganui College had banned the extra events for the two years since principal Terry Collett had been there. If students ran the risk of organising a post-ball party the ball itself would be canned.
"I'm not going to risk the potential danger of this. Kids can have their own social functions any time of the year without attaching it to the school ball," Mr Collett said.
At Katikati College, after-ball functions were discouraged but principal Peter Leggat said he felt the rural community was in a different situation to city schools.
"What would concern us more is the thought of our kids driving into town," he said. "The whole thing hasn't really been an issue for us."
He said pre-ball functions were a good chance for parents to see their teens dressed up.
Bethlehem College and Te Puke High School principals both discouraged the functions.
