Principal Emma Leyland said the decision followed lower-than-expected ticket sales and limited student interest.
“After reviewing ticket sales, it became clear there was insufficient support for the event to proceed.”
According to the school’s May newsletter, tickets were $75 for singles and $135 for doubles. The school did not cite cost as a factor.
Leyland thanked those who donated tickets to support student attendance.
Whangārei clothing rental company Label & Lease owner Madyson Arnesen has noticed a shift in how students approach school balls.
“I remember when I was at school, it was the event of the year – everyone talked about it for months, and there was so much excitement leading up to it. These days, that hype seems to have faded a bit.”
Clients now don’t want to spend much on a dress they’ll only wear once, or they leave it until the last minute.
“It definitely feels like things have shifted, and the approach to school balls is very different now.”
One Whangārei makeup artist said she has seen first-hand how much money parents “have to pour into such an event”.
She averaged the cost at $500 per girl once a dress, jewellery, heels, hair, makeup and tan were done.
Some parents had even let their daughters get a full head of highlights specifically for the ball, she said.
“And with the current economic crisis and cost of living, I don’t feel that it’s a terrible thing it being cancelled. Food’s better on the table than a school ball.
“If you have the funds, definitely go all out if you can, but I also think not every family can afford the costs of a school ball.”
Her comments follow an Auckland principal last month saying the cost of balls was “escalating out of control”.
Papakura High principal Simon Craggs said that after the 2023 and 2024 balls were canned due to low ticket sales, they decided to host it in one of the school’s gyms last year and capped the ticket price at $90.
One North Shore college charged $230 per ticket but cut the price by 15% after parent backlash.
Whangārei Girls’ High School and Whangārei Boys’ High School’s joint ball in May sold 850 tickets at $80 each.
Twenty head students from other schools also attended, according to Whangārei Girls’ High School deputy principal Rochelle Telfer.
“We were able to keep the ticket price the same as 2025 and did not have any concerns raised re cost,” she said.
The event had been run jointly for three years. Starting last year, the ball was limited to Year 12 and 13 students and their partners.
Ōkaihau College principal Tom Davison said the school, with a roll of 270, hosted a ball for 50 students this year. Tickets cost $50.
“We set a budget for how many students we think we’ll get based on previous year’s numbers and work towards that.”
He said the cost was based on catering and decorations, with no venue hire because they used the school hall.
“We have managed to keep our prices relatively stable by working with that budget model.”
He said cost might be an issue for students in low socioeconomic areas.
A Kerikeri High School parent said the school’s ball was usually well attended.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.