Durham Public Schools working to make sure all graduating seniors have caps and gowns

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Durham Public Schools knows not all families in its district can afford a cap and gown, so they're making sure the Class of 2024's needs are met before graduation.

"Whether it's having a cap and gown stored at the school every year, or reaching out to the company that we purchase from to see if they're willing to donate cap and gowns ... they just all work collaboratively," DPS K-12 school counseling coordinator Dr. Cherice Artis said.

Artis said that most schools have a closet where they keep cap and gowns, ties and other things that students might need for graduation. For some students that could add up to $200 for the proper attire, according to Ophelia French, who's graduating from Riverside High School in June.

"It's not only the cap and gown, it's other stuff, too," French said. "It was kind of hard because I was like, I need this to graduate, and it's this much money."

The school district said this is an issue it addresses yearly, with PTA organizations such as Riverside High School PTA also joining in on the effort for this year's graduating class and also the next one.

"We see what families have ordered (by October)," Artis said. "Then they're having a deadline when we get back from Christmas break, and then they have one closer to this time of year."

Artis said the district has established measures to provide caps and gowns to those in need, including having students enrolled in the McKinney-Vento program, which supports children and youth experiencing homelessness, have their caps and gowns covered by money allocated for this purpose.

"We work closely with our company that we order them from to see which students haven't ordered them," Artis said. "And then school counselors and school social workers check in with those families to see if they need support in ordering those cap and gowns."

DPS also reaches out to graduates to see whether they are interested in donating their gently used caps and gowns.

Riverside High School Principal Dr. Gloria Woods-Weeks has even had the dates on the collars removed so that the cap and gown can be reused.

"We work with our cap and gown company, our counselors and social workers collaborate, and we engage our community to ensure that all of our graduates are able to participate fully in commencement exercises," Woods-Weeks said in a statement.

Fewer than a dozen students at Riverside High School need a cap and gown as of May, according to DPS, which said it is working to make sure it is covered ahead of the school's graduation at Cameron Indoor Stadium on June 10.

"We do recognize that these can be tough economic times for our families," Artis said. "I would encourage families who want to know if their school has a need, they should reach out to the lead school counselor at their given school to see what efforts they have in place for their particular school."