This year, students wishing to attend their graduation ceremony at Williams Field High School in Gilbert, Arizona will have to pay $25.
My Fox Phoenix reports that the school could make up to $10,000 by charging the nearly 400 seniors expected to walk in the ceremony. The school is claiming it’s the only way they can pay for the graduation.
Some parents are upset that the school would even implement a fee after their children have worked hard to earn a diploma.
“This is the latest kind of punch in the gut,” said Russ Richardson, who has had three children graduate from the school.
Tony Malaj with the Higley Unified School District defended the school’s decision, noting that other schools around the country charge for graduation. Malaj said the charge won’t entirely cover the expenses of rental chairs and a rental stage as well as diplomas and security.
“It doesn’t come anywhere close to off-setting the cost for graduation,” Malaj told Fox. “It’s such a big event, you have to have traffic control, you have all this stuff that happens and you have to have police officers for security here.”
Students that are unable to afford the fee can request a waiver.