The Class of 2025 and the families of the graduates are advocating for the graduation ceremony to be moved to the William R Johnson Coliseum. The cost of the facility has been offered to be paid for by a generous family. The date of the ceremony would be rescheduled for Thursday, May 22, 2025, just one day earlier than the original date. There has been a parent petition created and it has reached 152 signatures in under 24 hours. As of January 14, superintendent David Russell has ruled to keep graduation at the Russell Gymnasium on the original date with no tickets.
In my personal opinion, the graduation ceremony should be moved to the Stephen F. Austin State Univeristy Coliseum.
The main concern of moving the location is due to the number of family each student has. The senior class consists of 81 students. Many of these students have blended families which includes parents, step parents, siblings, step siblings, multiple sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close family friends. There is no comfortable and pleasing way for all of these families to find a place to watch their graduate walk across the stage. Not issuing tickets is like putting fire out with fire. The frustration has affected the graduates and caused stress on if their family members will be able to watch them graduate. I am personally worried about my handicapped grandparents having access to a low seat. If they want a good seat there is a possibility they will have to camp out at the school to be the first ones in there. Family members with infants are also going to find it difficult to get to the school early. It is very upsetting that we will not be able to share such a milestone in our lives with the people who have supported us through it all.
Mr. Russell is using the fact that the date will not be moved because families have already made plans for high school and middle school graduation and rentals have been made for Project Grad. This reasoning is not valid. This was first brought up by parents in May 2024. These parents continued to show up to meetings and emails were continued to be sent to board members. Students also attended a school board meeting and expressed their concern on behalf of the student body. A change could have been made months before, but no action was taken. There are four months to reschedule the rentals, and if not the money can go towards more prizes. The seniors also have not been asked what they would rather have. More bounce houses or for our family to watch us graduate? I also looked up some airlines’ flight change policy and it is possible for families with booked flights to reschedule now. If this matter was acted upon sooner, this would not be as big of a concern. There is going to have to be rescheduling if graduation is moved, but it is not that difficult and it is what the seniors want. There has been a student petition made and the majority of the grade has signed it.
To please the majority of the people, Mr. Russell should move graduation and give the graduating seniors a pleasant graduation.