High school students in Durango must meet several requirements to graduate and participate in commencement ceremonies. Those include meeting academic benchmarks, completing required coursework and obtaining a cap and gown that meet each school’s specifications.
Several Durango schools – including Durango High School, Durango Big Picture High School and Animas High School – require students to wear matching caps and gowns to participate in graduation ceremonies. For some students, buying a new set to wear once is financially burdensome or raises environmental concerns.
Sabina Fischer, a senior at Durango High School and member of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission, is proposing a graduation gown recycling program.
Sabina, who will graduate in May, said she was told ‒ along with most of her classmates ‒ that she must purchase new Jostens-brand regalia for the ceremony unless they can borrowed a gown elsewhere.
While the school maintains a small stock of gowns for reuse, they are set aside for students in certain disadvantaged groups, leaving many students without access to a borrowed option.
“We currently have a limited number of gowns available for students who request assistance,” Durango School District spokeswoman Karla Sluis said in an email. “If demand increases, we work individually with students and families to ensure cost is not a barrier to participation.”
Environmental concerns were the primary reason Sabina did not want to purchase a new gown, she said.
“They’re all made of this really cheap polyester material that lasts forever, so it doesn’t break down,” she said. “But it’s too weak to reuse. ... I've seen a few of them around, and it’s like, the thinnest material possible. ... I really try my best to not impact the environment as much as possible.”
Polyester is a nonbiodegradable material made from polyethylene terephthalate – the same compound used to make plastic water bottles.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 8 million high school and college students graduate each year in the U.S. – most wearing caps and gowns that rarely get used again after the big day.
The cost was a secondary factor behind the recycling effort, Sabina said. The most basic cap-and-gown package for Durango High School costs $59.95 on the Jostens website, before taxes, fees or shipping costs.
Sabina does qualify for a reused cap and gown under DHS guidelines, she said. Still, cost remains a consideration.
Sabina plans to attend the Prague Film Institute after graduation and is saving for her move overseas.
“I just can’t justify spending $50 to $70 on a gown that I'll wear once then throw away,” she said. “I’m going to a college overseas, so I need the money to set up an apartment and all that. Fifty dollars could be a week of groceries for me.”
To donate
Graduation gowns can be donated at the front desks of Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave., or at Durango Big Picture High School, 150 Tech Center Drive.
Graduation gowns will be accepted in all sizes. They must be Jostens brand; and white or red in color for Durango High School; and black for Durango Big Picture High School. The district requests gowns be washed, ironed and donated on hangers. If gowns do not meet the criteria, they will not be accepted.
Questions about the drive can be directed to Sabina Fischer at yogayogurt@hotmail.com
Animas High School, a charter school with a smaller student body than DHS, also has a stock of gowns that can be borrowed by students, according to school spokesperson Libby Cowles.
Any student who wishes to use a recycled gown, cap and stole from a friend or former graduate may do so, Cowles said – as long as the attire aligns with the school’s color and style theme. Cowles said demand has not exceeded the school’s supply of reusable gowns.
“We have always allowed families/students to borrow cap, gown and stole (the yellow sash ...) from the school or use those items belonging to a sibling/friend if they choose not to purchase the items,” Cowles said in an email to the Herald.
The only item students are required to purchase new for the Animas High graduation ceremony is a cap tassel, because it features the graduation year, Cowles said.
Sluis said families sometimes question the cost or sustainability of graduation attire and that the district supports student efforts to increase access and sustainability.
“Graduation is an important milestone, and we work to balance tradition, uniformity, cost considerations, and logistical feasibility,” she said. “We are always open to ideas that make the process more accessible and environmentally thoughtful.”
epond@durangoherald.com
