The Project Grad committee announced to seniors that they will not give the seniors money for attending, but instead will spend more money on prizes this year. 

Project Grad has raised over $70,000 for the 2024 seniors. 

“The committee has been raising money since this class was in middle school,” senior parent Shannon Lindsey said. “The committee decided that once you pay for the event and prizes, etc, that students weren’t taking home very much money at all.  So instead, this year they decided to buy lots of really nice prizes instead.” 

The Project Grad event changed location to the county show barn because Putters and Gutters said they won’t host it at their location anymore.

“Past classes had it at Putters and Gutters,” Lindsey said. “However, management did not want to host Project Grad anymore after last year, so we had to find a new location.” 

Senior Kadyn Atkins said she thinks it’s better that seniors aren’t getting money because they might not spend it responsibly. 

“We’re getting [the money] in a different way, which honestly, I think it’s better,”  Atkins said. “You don’t really know what kids are spending their money on. If we’re just handing out cash, what do you think they would be spending it on?” 

The prizes are MacBooks, iPads, Air pods, Beats, mini fridges and microwaves.

“I mean I don’t really mind that much because I know we’re getting a bunch of cool prizes that are probably going to be worth more than the money we’d get,” senior Tommy Bushong said. “I probably would have ended up buying the prizes anyway.”