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ALBANY, GA. --
Lee County High School administrators are turning student wrong doings into good deeds.

At the school, the price to pay for talking on a cell phone is confiscation and to get the cell phone back, there's a fine. In this case the school is using the fine money to reward those who follow the rules.

“We give our star student $250, we give our salutatorian $500, and we give our valedictorian $1,000,” says Kevin Dowling, Principal at Lee County High School.

Not only will the top three students receive a prize, all 37 honor students will take home a check. It's something the principal says is a small token for their hard work.

Each honor student will receive $100.

“Many of them are involved in extracurricular activities and still keeping up their grades. To be an honor graduate, it's pretty tough here. You have to carry at least a 3.9 GPA,” says Kevin Dowling.

Thomas Wright, a senior, says it’s been a long road.

“They have a very strict code when it comes to AP classes and honors classes. So you are forced to either not pay attention or pay attention. So, I chose to pay attention and all four years,” says Wright.

Wright maintains over a 4.0 GPA and is ranked third in his class. This is in addition to a successful football career and artistic passion that the student plans to continue with through college.

“It's just what I like to do the most. So I figure I’ll just go and pursue better technique and new things to do with art,” says Wright.

As the student nears graduation, he says he's grateful for those who broke the rules because they not only helped stuff his pockets in the end, but they became his friends.

“I’m going to miss the people and I’m going to cherish the memories,” says Thomas Wright.

Wright plans to attend Valdosta State University in the fall.