Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Senior Fees - Still Illegal and Still at Blair HS

The Administration at Blair HS must be slow learners.

Several years ago, I know I told the administration at Blair that you can't charge students to participate in graduation.

Yet, charge away they do.  For buses, programs, and flowers.  With a convenience fee if the student pays by credit card.

Last time I checked, Blair HS had great access to public transportation.  Why the bus?  Why ask students to come to school and ride a bus downtown.  Can't they carpool or go with their parents? What if they only want to travel one way?  Do they get a discount?

Flowers?  Flowers in DAR Constitution Hall?  Can't the school share with the other schools using the facility?

Here is information for MBHS Seniors, class of 2015.

SENIOR FEES TO INCLUDE BUS
TRANSPORTATION/PROGRAMS/FLOWERS
All students are required to ride the bus from MBHS to Constitution Hall. $20
The last day to pay for graduation expenses is December 12, 2014.
Make checks payable to MBHS. The money will be collected by Ms. Fus in
the attendance office and Ms. Norris in Room 232 during 5th and 6th
period. Please have exact change.
*There are no additional fees for graduation.
Credit Card Payments can be made online at:
http://osp.osmsinc.com/montgomeryMD/ (3.75% convenience fee added)
*Order forms may be found in the main office, Rm. 232, and online.
And the cap/gown rip off?  The school makes money off every cap/gown they sell to you.  How many other schools use RED gowns?  Black is so much simpler, and easy to recycle.

Parents at Blair and other MCPS high schools remember - your child is entitled to a free public education.  Use public transportation and skip the flowers.   But - don't let the school administrators shake you down for additional cash.

6 comments:

  1. There are no additional fees for graduation????? How hysterical! There are no fees for graduation at all!

    But, let's rip off the students as much as possible and even trick them with fake language as if this is a deal.

    Remember to vote the Apple Ballot in November to keep ripping off MCPS students!

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  2. I think that all schools probably have buses to take graduating students to DAR Hall. Parking is an absolute nightmare in that area - it is nonexistent and the traffic is heavily congested. Blair HS has the largest graduating class in the county and is required to get it complete led within the strictly allotted two-hour time period. All students must arrive at the same time to be seated for the ceremony. To do otherwise would be chaotic and result in a nightmare of logistics as students are all seated alphabetically, per their appearances on stage. You can't have seniors straggling in 10 minutes late because the family couldn't find parking or got stuck in traffic. They would miss their turn going across the stage to receive their diplomas, and the announced name would be absent the student attached to the announced name. Until people know how tightly scheduled the ceremony is required to be, they should not comment. Magnet mom, come May, you will be glad to have the security of knowing that your student is actually in the proper place at the proper time so that you can proudly watch your child stride across the stage. Your student being on that bus for transportation to the DAR is what is going to give you that security.

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    Replies
    1. Nope they don't have buses at all high schools. And, at other schools graduation is free.

      Delete
    2. My child attended RMHS and got to the venue on time in my car. Wootton HS also does not provide buses. So what is up with Blair HS that these kids can't get to DAR on time?

      Delete
  3. Unfortunately, although students and parents pay for the bus to DAR, this year the school contracted with Dillon's-Coaches USA bus company operating out of Hanover Maryland. Students were charged $20 but parents were charged an additional $20 each for transportation to DAR. The buses failed to show up and were almost two hours late with parents and siblings waiting in the hot sun from 11AM onwards until 1:45PM! The school refused to reimburse parents who were delivered to the ceremony after it had started and forced to sit in one section in the nosebleeds! The whole occasion was spoiled for the families that paid the school for the bus transportation.

    The bus company seems to get away with no shows or severe delays and continues to be the company of choice for the school!

    The teacher responsible for communicating with the bus company did a terrible job and was super nasty to parents enquiring about the status of the bus that they had paid for. The teacher's family had saved them a balcony at DAR so they did not care about the punishing wait time! Also, the PTA padded every single fee. They added on fees to the cost of the graduation photos from Lifetouch (which is exorbitant for parents) and the school and PTA refuses to switch over to a more affordable photographers.

    Some students just refused to attend the ceremony because it was more like an anonymous cattle prod with a sea of slurred names than a memorable recognition of each and every student. A small few refused to pay the fees but the PTA and school know that they have a captive audience and exploits the parent's emotional investment in the culmination of twelve years of schooling to make them pay a never ending stream of fees (for things that should not have charges) in senior year!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Damascus has the best graduation ceremonies - in the football field. It has only rained once or twice I believe over many years. It's a grand tradition!

    ReplyDelete

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