The release of the new Senior Ball theme, ticket prices, and elimination of the couples’ discount have also let loose a stream of criticism by seniors but there are valid reasons behind the new price tag.
Senior Ball, themed “New York, New York,” takes place Feb. 10, 2024, being available to exclusively seniors and select juniors. When tickets first went on sale in early January, many students were put off by the high prices, claiming they had increased dramatically since the prior year.
“We looked at the records. It was 90-dollars last year and this year, so there really was no increase. The prices are the same,” senior class vice president Thasmeah Sardar said.
However, the pricing of the tickets is not fully mirrored to last year’s system. Last year, the price remained stagnant throughout the purchasing period. This year, the price increases weekly by five dollars, favoring the early birds.
There has also been a repeated negative comparison between Ventura High School’s Senior Ball and Buena’s, as they are at the same location, but with different prices. Ventura High School has a lower price of 85 dollars, so when comparing these prices to Buena’s weekly increasing prices, there can be up to a 30-dollar difference between the two dance tickets.
One of the largest controversies surrounding the ticket prices, though, is the elimination of the couple’s discount. Many friends and couples alike used this incentive to alleviate the already hefty dance bill.
“We had been thinking of removing it for a while because, in our eyes, we felt like it forced people to go on a date,” ASB adviser Laura Adair said. “And we found out … by having a couple’s discount it is against the financial management laws of California for an ASB group called FCMAT.”
Just because the couple’s discount no longer exists, it doesn’t mean there’s no possibility for other alternatives for dance discounts.
We’re not trying to make money off of you. We’re just trying to hold a dance that [students] are really excited about.
— Laura Adair
“We have considered doing a flash sale the first day of prices for ticket sales, or extending after ticket sales are supposed to be ending if there is capacity,” Adair said. “Ultimately, though, it comes down to how much we’re spending on the dance and what minimum the venue wants you to meet.”
This price has risen drastically in the last few years. Spanish Hills, the venue for this year’s Senior Ball, has almost doubled since the last time Buena hosted the dance there, going from a 10,000 dollar minimum in 2021 to 18,000 in 2023.
“The point of this is that our ticket prices are as low as they could possibly be, and we might not break even. We’re not trying to make money off of you,” Adair said. “We’re just trying to hold a dance that [students] are really excited about.”
