SouthCoast Parents Spark Heated Debate Over Rising Costs and Quality of School Photos

It feels like just yesterday I was wearing a button-down shirt tucked into my pants, sporting a bowl haircut, and posing in front of a laser-filled backdrop. Listen, the bowl haircut was the style, just ask Google. Fast forward to today, and it’s crazy to think that within the next five to six years, my son will be sitting down for school photos of his own.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the school photo debate taking over my Facebook news feed. Parents were upset about everything from the prices to the way their kids looked. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much passion go into something as seemingly simple as picture day, but I'm here for it.

Between the nostalgia and the complaints, it got me thinking: it’s 2026, and we take pictures of our kids constantly. Do school photos still feel as special as they once did?

SouthCoast Parents Weigh In

Reading through the responses to my own Facebook post "PARENTS: What were your thoughts on your kids school photos?", frustration over price and quality stood out. Erin McGregor Young said photos for her four children would have cost $240, so she preferred spending that money on family pictures. Others still bought the smallest package, even when they weren’t thrilled with the results.

Jennifer Johnson said her son posed with his rain jacket zipped all the way up, wondering why neither he nor the photographer thought to address it. Ksea Swift described messy hair and a photo caught mid-blink. Meanwhile, Kimberly Medeiros said she used to request retakes but now appreciates seeing exactly how that moment looked. That one right there changed my perspective immediately as a new parent myself.

READ MORE: Gazelle Becomes Google's Poster Child For Bowl-Cut Hair Styles

There was plenty of love for the tradition, too. Mitchell C. Jackson keeps wallet-sized pictures on his dashboard, calling them “the highlight of my car.” Hannah Bruce captured both sides: “They’re really expensive but it’s tradition and I love to have them.” She also admitted her iPhone pictures at home were better, but that's a photography rabbit hole I try to stray from.

From Wallet Photos to Camera Rolls

For families growing up in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, picture day belonged to a world without camera rolls in our pockets. Those were the photos we handed out to grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. Now, we can send everyone a new picture before breakfast, which makes me wonder whether that yearly portrait carries the same weight.

Missing teeth and a favorite t-shirt can be the best part. After all, I’m a traditionalist at heart, and when my son’s picture day comes around, I’ll be buying school photos.

That’s my take, and I understand why other parents feel differently. With our phones already full of memories, are school photos losing some of their special value, or will that yearly picture always deserve a spot on the fridge?

Say cheese, kids.