Originally aired May 12, 2003
Written by Jason Katims
Directed by Jonathan Pontell
A student asks Whitney Houston to be his prom date, and she actually accepts. Steven, Scott, and Ronnie struggle to save Winslow from serious budget cuts. Danny asks Claire's father for her hand in marriage, only to receive a shocking reply.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Steven stokes Scott's ego a bit to convince him to work with Ronnie on the budget.
- Blackmail: Steven implicitly threatens to sue Scott for breach of contract if he doesn't return to work.
- Shout-Out: Scott mentions he re-read Anna Karenina.
- Take a Third Option: Steven decides to cut all funding for athletics and challenges parents to support sports because he's done his job and defended academics.
