Lake Orion Community School’s Superintendent Marion Ginopolis informed the school board of a DTE Energy Music Theatre fee increase at the Nov. 6 Board of Education meeting.

According to Ginopolis, LOHS’s usual home for their graduation ceremony, DTE Energy Music Theatre, has increased the fee for all high school graduations.

“It’s about a $10,000 more increase to go there,” Ginopolis said. “However, Kyle Meteyer (LOHS Associate Principal), at the high school and Steve (Hawley, LOHS Principal) have really been working with DTE, trying to get them to be a little more reasonable, which, they aren’t.”

Ginopolis has been working with both Tim Throne (Superintendent of Oxford Community Schools) and Shawn Ryan (Superintendent of Clarkston Community Schools) to try and come up with an alternative.

One of these options Ginopolis suggested was to hold all three school’s graduations on the same day but at different times. However, after pricing that option out there was really no savings in doing so, Ginopolis said.

“At any rate, because of the lateness of where we are right now, I have authorized to proceed with DTE for this year and then we’ll have to start looking at another venue,” Ginopolis said. — M.K.