Every year, students pay money to the school for a variety of reasons. From senior parking passes to Prom tickets, some things at the school come with a cost.

The annual Homecoming dance, which took place earlier this month, came with its regular costs and a bit more. Tickets were $20 for students at the school and $30 for any guests from other schools.  Due to the school’s IB Programme, students from all over the county are drawn to the school, meaning that many students have friends at other schools that they may have wanted to invite. For such students, these costs could add up quickly.

“My visitor coming from out of town was going to come to the dance regardless of the price, so it made me a little upset that I had to pay the extra $10,” junior Margaux Reppert said. “If the school is trying to discourage people from bringing visitors, the visitors permission form should be enough. The form is already kind of a hassle to fill out, so if someone is motivated enough to fill it out, they will probably act responsibly at the dance.”

The school, however, made the decision to set the ticket prices with the intention of helping students have a good time at the dance.

“As we increase in size and dance attendance increases, we want to encourage W-L students to attend and this helps demonstrate that they are our first priority,” Ms. Timica Shivers, a school Student Council Association sponsor, said.

Before students could buy their Homecoming tickets, they were also required to pay their class dues. The dues, which are $25 for freshmen, sophomores and juniors and $60 for seniors, are used to put on different events and activities for students at the school. If students were not marked down as having paid their dues, then they would not be able to buy their tickets until they brought in that money as well.

“[Homecoming] is a school wide event and we use monies from each of the class accounts,” Ms. Shivers said when asked about the policy. “Having looked at and factored in cost of the event and population of students who attend, we used money from all class accounts to put on the event.”

Some students take issue with the high costs of Homecoming tickets. They cite the other costs typically associated with attending a school dance, such as buying a dress, as reasons that the tickets should come with a lower price tag.

“I would have gone to Homecoming if the tickets were cheaper,” junior Morgan Atkinson said. “I think the tickets are too expensive because people go out for dinner before the dance, and a lot of people buy new outfits too.”

Another common cost associated with the school is the senior parking pass. Students with a pass are allowed to park in the senior lot at the school. This year, they cost $50. While some students who already purchased them may have considered the price high, many thought that the parking lot would be worth it.

“They could probably move the price up further and people would probably buy them anyways — who wants to park in the junior lot?” senior Kate Cobey said. “I think parking for a year for fifty dollars, right next to the school, is a pretty sweet deal. Plus, the passes keep out people who don’t go to the school, so it’s guaranteed to have room as long as you get there early enough.”

Ultimately, students trust the school to use their money well. The costs pay for the events that they are associated with, which are often highly-anticipated by students.

“It seems straightforward that [the school would] need to collect money for events,” Cobey said. “It would be nice if they told us more about it but it’s implied it’s for our benefit. I feel confident that they make good use of it.”