Parents irked by graduation fees

A financial pain for some has become a matter of principle for a group of Montgomery County parents angered by graduation expenses they deem unfair. At Silver Spring's Montgomery Blair High School, senior dues are $34 and go toward costs such as flowers, buses to the graduation venue, goodie bags and a senior picnic. Seniors were told they would not be allowed to attend graduation unless their dues were paid or they obtained a waiver for financial hardship. At Potomac's Winston Churchill High School and 10 others, seniors pay no dues. At Rockville's Richard Montgomery High School, they pay up to $75.

Rosanne Hurwitz, a Blair parent and active member of the school watchdog group Parents Coalition of Montgomery County, complained to Blair principal Darryl Williams that the dues violate Maryland's constitutional right to a free public education. Her Parents Coalition cohorts have argued for nearly two years that graduation dues, as well as fees for classes and supplies, are illegal.Some principals have listened and have dropped certain fees. The district as a whole, however, has denied the complaints. As a compromise, Williams waived the fee for Hurwitz's son and said it would work in the future to bring down the costs. "People say it's just $34, but it's $34 times thousands of seniors," Hurwitz said. "It's a question of what are the schools supposed to be paying for, and what do parents have control over?" SOURCE: Washington Examine