I live in a very impoverished area. For prom my school allowed use to fundraise to help pay for our tickets. My ticket cost $70, so I just paid the full amount myself. However, we recently got a new sponsor, and she’s no longer accepting the money that was fundraised. Now, she’s requiring everyone to pay $50 out of pocket. This means that if someone fundraised for their ticket, that money isn’t being accepted anymore. People have been asking for refunds, but the school isn’t giving the money back. I don’t know what to do—who should I talk to about this?
Edit-Our new sponsor wants to control everything. She changed the prom theme even after the entire senior class voted in favor of the original theme, not hers. And now she’s doing this with the tickets. I have a meeting with her tomorrow
Update 1-They are aware of the people who fundraised and have an spreadsheet of paper, but the issue is that prom tickets are now being sold for $50, whereas the fundraiser required raising $70. They’re not going to reimburse the $20 difference. I spoke with the sponsor, and she said she’s not accepting the previous fundraiser money because she’s a “new sponsor” and isn’t in charge of who received the funds. My final update will be on Friday, and no, I haven’t received a waiver for a free prom ticket nor my money back.
Comments
Take it to the superintendent or hell, call the news! NBC10 responds if you’re in the US.
Do you have any sensible adults around?
There’s power in numbers, get everyone together that was affected and protest
Call the news
A lawyer. Threaten lawsuit, going to the local news, etc. That’s bullshit and you should be prepared to bring a ton of shit on them for that. And going in the unethical direction, if they still refuse, I wouldn’t blame you if you stole $70-$120 worth of stuff from the school to compensate your loss, just know that is illegal and I’m not advocating for it, just that I couldn’t blame you
Seems like somone is scamming
Call the news, they love this kind of stuff. Make a tiktok and tag the investigation news team for your local news in it.
Wait… are you saying the fundraiser money was given to the school, they decided they won’t accept it but won’t give it back, and now want more money?
That’s not right, someone’s definitely in the wrong. Don’t go to the superintendent bc you don’t if/when it’ll ever get resolved. Go to the news, they’ll jump right on it and put pressure on the school to resolve it.
EDIT: This is totally not a confession post lol
So they’re stealing the fundraiser money?!?!
That’s truly disgusting. Totally in agreement you need to get your local news station on this because they will make that person’s life HELL. I would call them in a heartbeat myself!! I’m so sorry. You guys deserve to have that fundraiser money honored. sounds like they’re trying to take that money for themselves!!!
Go to the press, they like these kind of stories.
A lawyer. She stole from you. And it sounds like the school.
CALL THE MEDIA!! 🤬 This made me so angry for you. SO angry. I’m so very very very very sorry that this is a world that you’re experiencing.
What country is this in?
That’s fraud. They can’t change the terms like that. Report it to the superintendent and local news if that doesn’t hold up.
70 bucks? WhT the frick?
Any adult
They count on knowing the fact that most of these families are low-income and won’t have the ability to fight back with funding. Makes my blood boil. You were smart to reach out, is there an adult that can help that’s near you? Good job kid, take a stand for what you believe is right. And I’d say most of reddit stands behind you as well.
“take me to court 🙂”
And only this ever.
I would make a TikTok. Tag the school or whatever company or organization is doing this. Normally I’d say the news but in 2025 if you want something to be done quickly get TikTok on it, 😂
Sounds like the school has learned from big government.
Call the news, your school is gonna be famous!
Is Tony Soprano the school principal?
You’re talking prom, so I’m going to operate as though you’re in high school. Do you have a teacher or counselor who could serve as an advocate? A parent or friend’s parent who’s ready to fight? Draft a carefully worded email and cc the principal. Include in your email a proposed solution (don’t just be a squeaky mouse). Have the advocate teachers and parents review
If you can’t get results, boycott prom and do your own off piste prom
If you paid your own money and didn’t use the fundraising money, why would you now owe an additional $50??
Sounds like someone embezzled that money.
It may be gone and that sucks, but hopefully they can catch the culprit.
Post the details. School Name, City, State. New sponsor’s name and contact info – or not. The internet will do the rest for you.
Do not even bother with the principal or the superintendent or whoever runs your district, take this TODAY to your local news station. This is theft.
>I just paid the full amount myself.
>if someone fundraised for their ticket, that money isn’t being accepted
You didn’t fundraise for your ticket, so what’s the issue? Your $70 can be accepted because it came out of your own pocket, not through fundraising, right?
I already paid, I’m showin TF up!!!
That makes no sense. How would you even know the difference? Money is just money.
I would boycott and have no one go to this
I’d just go to school with a speaker system, have a group handle drinks and snacks on a school day. Tell your school to eat it and have your own fun time. If they want to encourage stealing from you when your families pay for the institution to exist, then you should feel free to use that time for an event you paid for that they are now trying to extort you for. Get everyone in on it. Or just go to a local park and have parents chaperone leave the school entirely empty.
Honestly, I’d just start laundering the fundraising money through a fake shell company. Put it in offshore bonds, reroute it through Luxembourg, then redonate it to yourself as a private sponsor. When they ask where the money went, tell them it’s undergoing restructuring. Alternatively, declare yourself the prom coordinator. Create a rival prom. Theme? Financial Accountability. Charge $49.99. Use the original theme the students voted on and serve some pizza rolls. You could also walk into that meeting tomorrow wearing sunglasses, holding a clipboard, and mutter things like “That’s not in the fiscal plan” and “The board won’t like this.” If nothing else, demand the fundraising money back in quarters. Hand-counted. In front of her desk.
Get a large group together and attend the next school board meeting. Get on the agenda to speak or have some speak during the public comment. Alert the media
Yeah bring in a parent
I call BS on OP’s story. If your school’s new prom “Sponsor” is asking for money then they are NOT sponsoring anything.
OP so you paid the full amount for your ticket and never received the ticket? Do you have a receipt? And if the “sponsor” is not accepting fundraiser money why would that effect you since you paid the full ticket price yourself?
What the America ? Schools have sponsors ? 😂😅🫠🙃
the most recent example was ml lmk loppp lmk ppppp i’ll put p
Court
So she wants to charge more in order to cover the theme change, then?
This sounds like stealing. Nice example to set for young people. I wouldn’t know what to do. Maybe contact your local news station? Maybe that will shame them (Doubt it with this lowlife).
Sounds like the entire senior class needs to declare that they aren’t going to a prom that they don’t want. And organize your own dance somewhere else. Don’t give in to people like this.
Try the school administration, the local news, and if you can try to get some parents together to possibly discuss legal actions.
Sounds like they are trying to pocket the 50$ after everyone already put money twords their admission. I would reach out to an admin who is an adult involved with said event or a guidance counselor that you are familiar with. Nothing about that sounds correct.
Op post the school. I’ll call in ad a journalist or news person and ask if they have a comment on the misallocated funds. It will at least shake things up
I would get your parent involved asap
Sue for your money back, or threaten legal action. Get parents involved. Boycott the prom by not participating.
This is going to sound weird, but post this in your towns Facebook forum. Let alllllll the school-moms deal with it. I’m serious, get the facebookers mad and there will practically be a riot at your school 😂
Remindme! 48 hours
Sounds like financial fraud to me.
For information: I was an accountant and currently work in governance and financial regulation.
Don’t go get your money back
NTA, divorce
protest by saying you won’t go to the prom unless people get their money back and have the original theme. if she disagrees, you guys can come together and make your own prom. see if there’s anywhere in town you can rent out a space. especially if you explain the situation you can probably get a discount.
The sponsor needs to be investigated for embezzlement. She’s using a flimsy excuse to try to invalidate money that was already paid. She can’t just pocket money and make it “disappear.”
What is the confession exactly
None of this makes any sense. I agree with the person who asked if there are any adults or sensible adults nearby
Real quick: what happened to the first person in charge of all this? The one that approved the initial theme, calculated the price to be $70, approved the fundraising, and collected the money?
Like, where did they disappear to that you now have this new problematic sponsor?
Is there a TV or newspaper journalist who might want to do a story about this? It might be worth a try to shine some light on this.
This might be a pipe dream, but have your student body organize a 3rd party prom and boycott the original
Start your own prom
Tell everyone that gave to the fundraiser that their money is being misappropriated and to call the school l.
This sounds illegal.
Do what everyone does now in days send an email to your local news, say something along the lines of … is stealing/ keeping the $70 and asking for more
Make ur school boycott prom, get everyone together and get ur own venue/house to do it at, might be smaller but way more fun
You could find out some of the people who donated money and let them know and have them contact the school and demand details, plus round up a big group of students who fundraised all of whom could show up together in the school office. If no answers are given then I’d go with the news as well. What area is this?
As a financial auditor this reeks of someone pocketing that money
Tell her you’ll organize everyone and have them not go to the dance.
Go to your local news and get your community to rally for you and your classmates.
r/advice
Probably be a good start
Sounds cultish, Carrie themed prom?
You should go to your parent or guardian and make them talk to the school about this.
If it’s still a problem go to the next school board meeting and express your displeasure.
Elected individuals are the best place to turn to. Especially when confronted by a shit ton of new voters.
RemindMe! 4 days
Ok, I gotta ask. Why doesn’t your senior class just boycott the prom and have their own? Let the “sponsor” have their expensive party with no attendees or their money and you guys put on your fancy clothes and do your own thing.