A sea of balloons crammed in the halls and stairwells of McNeil High School greeted students and teachers as they arrived at school Wednesday morning.

Students who pulled off the senior prank at McNeil in Austin, Texas,  spent hours filling thousands of balloons and plastic wrapping them into the staircases and across the campus.

Some some stayed over night on Tuesday.

Principal Courtney Acosta was elated by the prank, changing her Twitter photo to an image of herself sitting in a swarm of balloons.

She posted several pictures on Wednesday.

"If kids aren't given the chance to play, they will take it," Acosta tweeted. "Thank you for doing it right, '16! #ProudPrincipal."

More than a dozen of the senior boys carried the patrol cart up a flight of stairs to the second floor, plastic wrapping the balloons inside it, with a silly message, “Haha. Now you’re booted. $30!”

About the Author

Keep Reading

Katrina Roman (left) tells her students whether they are "calor" (warm) or "frio" (cold) during Spanish class at the DeKalb Christian Home Educators co-op in Stone Mountain, while school director Coretta Ponder observes on March 26, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., speaks at the Johnny Mercer Theatre Civic Center, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Credit: AP