Homecoming and all its festivities constitute a memorable time in the year for many students, faculty, staff, and alumni. However, these things require money, which comes from many different funds. 

Tuition supplies a large percentage of the school’s budget, but the Advancement Office helps with the remaining money. Jon Friedell ‘85, Director of the Alumni and Parent Engagement, described that the Advancement Office “does the fundraising for the school… With alumni [and] friends, [it] raises the additional money to help fund the school.” Katie Code, the Special Events Manager, explained that the Advancement Fund, the fund the Advancement Office raises, “covers the majority of the costs for Homecoming. Both what’s happening inside with alumni…but also the carnival games, face painters… all of that comes from the Advancement [Fund].” 

Referencing what the costs go towards, Code stated that “there’s nothing…extravagant. We’re paying for carnival games, for the face painter to come… renting tables, renting tents… There’s not one thing that’s really the expense; everything just costs money.” Friedell also mentioned alumni Homecoming events that are funded by the budget, such as the Alumni Party on the Terrace, Breakfast at Blake, and the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Code also explained how other parts of Homecoming, such as the food trucks and the Bear Wear sales, fit into the monetary equation differently, noting that “[the school] doesn’t make anything off of [the food trucks]” and simply “offer[s] the chance to be [there],” while the Bear Wear sales go the Build Better Blake Fund, which funds small projects around the campuses, such as higher-quality curtains in the middle school theater room. 

Separate from the night of Homecoming, the dance is organized by Administrative Assistant Stephanie Johnson. For dances, Johnson detailed,  “the funds come from a couple [of] places. The first place is the vending machine…all the income that we make from the vending machines goes into that fund… but… they’re not a significant part of the budget.” The other source is ticket sales, which Johnson estimated as being “75-80%” of the budget. 

Feedback helps to make the best experience. Johnson described that following last year’s Homecoming, “there was a push to get a new DJ. To get a new DJ, we needed more money. So I went to Forum and SIAC, and they agreed that the student body would be okay with paying five more dollars… so this year, the [dance] tickets, instead of being $10, are $15.”