After 75 years, the cost of cocoa has risen. The company that works directly with JDHS and many other schools, Worlds Finest Chocolates, has decided to stop offering the one dollar chocolate boxes.
Instead, they have been replaced with a two dollar chocolate box that includes a brand new flavor (Dark Chocolate Pretzel). While these new boxes come with its advantages there are some negative effects as well.
Some students have noticed business slowing down since the new boxes have been introduced.
“I feel like I’m making more money selling the new boxes rather than the old boxes. The new boxes are good and bad, since they’re overpriced, not a lot of people are buying it but at least more money is going towards my dues,” senior Deja Dupree stated.
Some students are making more profit from the new boxes helping them reach their goal for senior dues faster. However, sometimes it may be challenging due to the loss of many customers. Students reported felt better spending two dollars on two chocolates instead of just one small bar.
Originally, the one dollar chocolate boxes were expected to last up until the end of the school year, with the expectation that Ms. Escalera’s stock of chocolate was enough to last throughout the school year.
However, due to the increase in demand from consumers, along with the 400% increase in cocoa prices that manufacturers were dealing with has led to the end of the 75 year old $1 chocolate bar boxes.
According to Art teacher and Senior Advisor Ms. Escalera, by December 2025, our school’s dollar box supply was gone by 60%. This was due to more students requesting additional boxes from an already limited resource pool.
Though our school was projected to have our chocolate supply last through the Spring, these factors caused our inventory to dry up as early as before Winter Break.
Ms. Escalera has received criticism from students for the increase in chocolate prices, yet are unaware of the complexities that school fundraising involves.
Rimsha Naz, a senior in the Stem Academy reflected on the price increase, saying “The percent of those who are selling the chocolate it’s good for them, but not those who are purchasing them.”
The two dollar chocolate boxes offer a chance for students to raise more money for their senior dues, but for consumers- the chocolate bar is inconvenient.
This raises two questions for John Dewey student fundraisers: What does this mean for students selling the new boxes? Will students assimilate to the new prices and continue to fund their senior dues using this method?
“I feel like the dollar box really outlived inflation.” said Ms. Escalera.