Starting this spring, seniors will have to buy their own cap and gown for the graduation ceremony instead of renting them.

The main reason for the change, activities secretary Anna Ybarra said, is that students have sometimes had problems returning gowns on time to the manufacturer, Herff Jones, following the ceremony. In addition, students and parents have had to ask for special permission to keep the gowns longer, making it necessary to make multiple shipments back to the company.

“After graduation I would ship back approximately 40 or so boxes of gowns to Herff Jones,” Ybarra said. “But once they were shipped back, another handful of gowns would get turned in so I would have to do a second shipment back to the company.”

The new system solves this problem, Ybarra said. Also, most other schools in the area such as Lynbrook and Monta Vista have their seniors purchase their graduation gowns. Additionally, she thinks the gowns make for a nice keepsake at no additional cost.

According to Ybarra, the gowns cost $34 for both rental and for purchase. The full uniform, including the cap, is $47.

“The students would not need to return them immediately after the graduation ceremony and could keep them for photos or grad parties that happened after the event,” assistant principal Kerry Mohnike said.

The reaction to the change has been positive, said class representative Lillian Zeng, adding that the new system comes with additional benefits such as tailoring and fitting to suit each student.

“The majority of the senior class is quite satisfied with the change and looks forward to keeping these memorable gowns from their high school graduation,” she said.