Cost for Littlejohn graduation rentals increases

The refurbished home of Clemson’s basketball teams, Littlejohn, will cost more next year for high school graduation ceremonies.  Partly influenced by students and community feedback, Oconee school trustees made official this week their decision to re-book Littlejohn as the venue for next year’s high school graduation ceremonies.  Steve Hanvey, assistant superintendent of operations, says the cost to reserve Littlejohn to hold the ceremonies for the three high schools for Saturday, June 3, 2017 is about $21 thousand, as compared with the $16 thousand cost the last time Oconee graduations took place there.  To avoid an extra charge, the district will forego reserving Littlejohn for a practice day.  The trustees cited as their main reason for returning to Littlejohn in 2017 is the uncertainty over whether construction at the West-Oak High School stadium will be completed by then. But even if the district chose to use their high schools, there are expenses associated with that.  District officials say, “We pay for sound, chair rental, pressure washing the stands….We also have the cost that comes with the many, many man hours that our maintenance and technology staff put in to help our graduations run smoothly.