The Mount Vernon High School Parent Teacher Student Association (MVHS PTSA) is sponsoring a fun, safe, and alcohol and drug free celebration for our Class of 2024 graduates to celebrate their success.  At one time, we offered an All Night Grad Party (ANGP), but historically, fewer than 25% of our seniors attended this event. Five  years ago, we polled the senior class to see if there was interest in moving our ANGP to an event at school during senior week. Our reasons for this move included increasing participation and reducing the cost, as the cost of ANGP included food, entrance fees/rental fees (to places like indoor laser tag or our community rec center), and transportation. Holding our event at the school reduces the overall cost per student and has increased our participation from 25% of the students to more than 75% of the students attending.

We currently have 480 students in the Class of 2024. The celebration will be held later in the day and will include a carnival, DJ, photo booth, dinner, and door prizes. The event is being held in the school’s stadium. Our goal is to provide the celebration at no cost to the student. Over 60% of our students qualify for federal free and reduced lunch. Other high schools within our school district, Fairfax County Public Schools, host similar graduation celebration events and charge their students an average of $70.00. We are budgeting a celebration that would cost approximately $25 per student, so well below the average cost of the other high schools in Fairfax County.

We are reaching out to Kings Dominion to provide tickets that we would use as a raffle prize at the celebration. Each student will receive a free door prize raffle ticket upon entrance.