Student Activity Fees
Years ago, the class sponsors, class officers and Stanton’s PTSA Board voted to assess student activity fees at Stanton. This was in response to parents, in particular, who were tired of candy sales, magazine sales, etc.; fundraisers that are employed by other schools in our district. There are so many events and activities that we like to provide for our students which are not financially covered by our budget. In the student’s freshman and sophomore years, the dues are spent on the class participation in the Homecoming activities and pizza lunches or breakfast. These expenses begin to add up in the student’s junior year. In addition to the aforementioned activities, all Stanton juniors take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) which costs $13 per test, and put on the junior-senior prom which requires approximately $10,000-$13,000 and our prom tickets are only $40. In a survey of other area high schools, Stanton’s tickets are definitely the lowest cost as most schools charge anywhere from $50 to $80 per ticket. Finally, in the senior year, along with all of these same yearly expenses, seniors participate in the Senior Carnival, Senior Banquet, Baccalaureate and the Graduation Ceremony. All must be financed, in large part, by the school. Seniors are also given a class t-shirt. The seniors and their parents purchase tickets for the banquet, but tickets, facility, decorations, trophies and programs are paid through the activity fee. At Baccalaureate, we must pay for the site rental, the printing of programs and reception. While the county pays for the rental of the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena for the graduation ceremony, all of the other expenses that are incurred must be paid for by Stanton. Some of the expenses include the cost of printing programs and tickets, flowers, cords, stoles, and medals worn by the students.
Students may pay the activity fee each year, or they may pay for all four years upfront. The fees paid by a student into a particular class account will stay with that class and “travel” with them throughout their years at Stanton. Students who enter Stanton after the ninth grade will not be charged for the years not at Stanton, and for students who leave Stanton, there will be no refund. If dues are not paid yearly, they will accrue and are considered a debt. Dues must be current in order to attend the homecoming dance, prom and in some instances partake in breakfasts and lunches sponsored by the class.
The activity fees are:
Seniors$40
Juniors$40
Sophomores$20
Freshmen$20
In addition to this activity fee, seniors will be presented the opportunity to purchase a senior package with the money applied to events throughout the year. The package covers the senior t-shirt, one Homecoming dance ticket, prom ticket at a reduced cost, Grad Bash, and Senior Week activities. The total cost of the package is $180 and may be paid in full or in three installments of $60 each. The due dates for each payment are September 19, November 7 and January 23. There is a $10 late charge for past due installments.