At Fairmount High School, Ohio in the suburbs of Dayton, a group of teenage students begin their school with an assembly featuring a band called "High on Life", though they are selfish at teachers and the principal. As the band continues to play onstage, Mark "Dags" D'Agastino and Reggie Barry decide to sabotage the assembly by having a track played and exposing the band lip syncing their music as it ends drastically but upbeat. After a typing class, the seniors cut school and throw a party for Principal Moss. Moss eventually gets informed about the party from the school body president Steve Nisser. When he returns home, he gives the group detention, forcing them to write a letter to the President of the United States, explaining what is wrong with the education system. The next day while arriving at school, Moss and the new typing class teacher notices that various newspaper station vans are there assuming that something has gone wrong within the building. Mrs. Winston tells him that Jason Lerman is inside the building after meeting the seniors. Moss makes the announcement over them being invited by the President, who amazingly enjoyed their letter, to Washington, D.C. to discuss it. However, it is actually just a plot devised by the corrupt U.S. Senator to humiliate the President. The bus arrives at a convenience store, where Dags and Reggie lock Moss in a flooded washroom, and they steal alcoholic beverages. They are pursued by Travis, a crazed Star Trek fan and crossing guard, who hitches a ride with an Asian family. While on their way, Moss falls into a "coma" after taking pills given to him by bus driver Red. At this point, the students go on a rampage celebrating over Moss passing out and throw another party, while Carla Morgan, the school slut, puts makeup on Moss. The next day, the bus is pursued by Travis and the police. Red apparently dies from a drug overdose, and the bus nearly plows into a lake. Dags manages to stop it in time, but the car lands on the water and Travis escapes. Arriving at Washington, the group checks into a hotel and decides to take a class photo at a cemetery. Miosky uses fart lighting on J. Edgar Hoover's flame to distract Travis. That night, the seniors secretly lace a box of chocolates with tequila and give it to Miss Milford. When Milford seduces Moss, the students begin to leave to go to a party at the hotel next door, but Steve Nisser threatens to blow the whistle. Dags orders Mioski to take care of him. At the hotel, Lisa Perkins discovers the plot to use the students and embarrass the President. The next day, Senator Lerman unexpectedly wakes up Moss and Milford, who—shocked at finding themselves in the same room—prepare themselves and the seniors for their meeting with the President. However, when they open the room, they do not find them there but only a tied-up Steve Nisser. Moss and Milford find the missing students, as they are informed of Lerman's plot as Lerman baffles to the discovery. The senator subsequently kidnaps Miosky and takes him to the White House with the others in hot pursuit. When they arrive at the White House, the senator insults the seniors, but Moss unexpectedly stands up for them. The senator's plot is ultimately exposed and the seniors return home. The film ends with a montage of the characters and where they ended up after the events.
The film opened to $2,184,901 from 1,397 theaters with the average to 1,563 per site. The United States had $3,686,337; it was 78% of the total gross of the film. The overseas gross was $1,000,600 and it brought the film to $4,686,937.
Critical response
The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, earning a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes website, but it currently holds a B grade at Yahoo! Movies.
