Many classes are free to students at Homer High School. “Electives have a ranging cost from $5-$100 but only cadcam is free in the electives,” says HHS bookkeeper Kristen Metz.
On the lower end of the spectrum of cost is Nutrition and Foods, which has a cost of just $15 per student. This is a contrast to the most expensive elective: choir costs $25 for the first year and an additional $80 dollars for a fitted uniform, a total of $105 for the first year. Each subsequent year costs $50. Jake Nelson, a student who has done choir through his senior year, says,” I don’t know where the money goes. If people were more informed of where it went maybe it wouldn’t seem so monumental of a price. Also the 80 dollars for a uniform isn’t too bad since you need it for all concerts and you can sell it after you are done with it.”
Metz goes on to say, “Most of the classes that require money, the student is using something consumable or personal. People probably will not want to share some personal stuff like glasses or some food.”
Theodore Castellani, a student who has done choir his whole high school career, states, “In order for there to be a cost for these electives, the school needs to have a wide enough range of electives available that the student feels justified in paying for these required electives.”
Every student is required to take 7.5 electives in high school in order to graduate, so breaking that up into each semester being .5 of a credit, by the end of a student’s senior year, they must take fifteen electives of their choice.
Is the fact that required classes cost money regardless of who is taking them? There are waivers for certain cases but the majority of students must pay the cost of the required classes, but many of them don’t even think about this fact. Chad Felice, Student Liaison, said,” I never thought about that. I feel if you are required to take electives you should not have to pay unlike with athletics where it is your choice to participate and pay.”