Kent School District leaders are sticking with the plan for drive-thru graduations despite a student protest and numerous emails and phone calls from parents and students asking for a more traditional ceremony.
Administrators discussed the graduation plans May 26 with the Kent School Board after 13 emails were read by staff requesting a change to use French Field or another outdoor venue rather than the drive-thru at four high schools as announced May 12 by Superintendent Calvin Watts.
Kentridge High School senior Ally Haisch told the board she participated at a May 26 student rally at the district headquarters to request a change in graduation plans similar to what nearly every other district around Kent and beyond is doing. Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Renton, Seattle and Tacoma are among the districts using outdoor stadiums.
“Listen to us and reconsider the plans for graduations,” Haisch said in her email. “Why is Kent School Distirct always last to do what is right for its students?”
Haisch said it took a student rally to help persuade the district to allow athletic contests to return this spring after many other districts already had announced plans.
Haisch also testified at the May 12 board meeting about how students wanted to use the district’s French Field next to Kent-Meridian High School as a venue.
Tami Pernaa told the board her online petition received nearly 400 signatures in favor of a more traditional ceremony at an outdoor venue. She said the district could have used T-Mobile Park in Seattle and each student could have had five guests.
“Covid stole their senior year but you stole their graduation,” Pernaa said.
Despite the pleas, drive-thru ceremonies it will be.
Israel Vela, the district’s chief school operations and academic support officer, said at the board meeting that planning for graduations started last fall with high school principals. He said input from student leaders was gathered in January and February.
Vela said French Field was considered as an option, but turned down because each graduate would only be able to get two tickets for family or friends to attend.
“We have a lot of multigenerational families and requests for more spectators,” Vela said. “Without a large venue with at least six tickets per graduate, we decided school based was the best option for our diverse school district.”
Vela said the accesso ShoWare Center, where graduations were held since 2009 prior to last year’s drive-thru ceremonies at schools due to the pandemic, was unavailable because it became a King County vaccination site. He said funds used to rent the city-owned arena would be used to pay for stages, flowers, photographers and other items at the drive-thru graduations at Kentlake, Kentwood, Kent-Meridian and Kentridge.
“I feel bad for the families and kids who are disappointed for the graduation plans,” school board member Leslie Hamada said in a May 27 Facebook post. “These plans were set in motion and I had no input in them. As I learned when I brought it to the agenda (May 26), it was way too late to change course and the building leaders did try to include student voices and have worked hard to implement great plans.”
The schools plan to have graduates walk through their schools cheered on by staff before receiving their diploma covers at a stage set up near the entrance to the schools. Families will be able to drive up and step out to view their child on stage before driving away to make room for the next students.
Board member Joe Bento said he attended the student rally outside the administration building to ask for a change in plans. He had concerns that only student leaders were involved in the planning for graduation.
“A small group of students doesn’t represent the whole student body,” Benton said during the board meeting. “A survey should have been done with more involvement of students. It was a missed opportunity to have students voices heard.”
Board Vice President Michele Bettinger said Bento joined her in a meeting with Watts on May 11 in an effort to hear student voices about graduation plans. She said the next day is when Watts announced the drive-thru plan.
“I am extremely disappointed our leaders in the central office did not decide to poll the students,” Bettinger said.
Board President Denise Daniels said she hopes the decision to have drive-thru graduations wasn’t a way out for adult leaders.
“I appreciate all the work that has gone into this, and I understand decisions have to be made by certain times,” Daniels said. “My biggest concern is to make sure this was not about the comfort for the adults over students. Some people are comfortable moving forward, others are not.”
But Daniels expects the drive-thru graduations to go well after hearing about the plans from school principals.
“I have no doubt it will be an amazing ceremony,” Daniels said.
Kent graduation dates:
(at school sites)
• Kent Academy: Thursday, June 17
• The Outreach Program (TOP): Thursday, June 17
• Kentlake High School: Friday, June 18
• Kent-Meridian High School (with iGrad): Friday, June 18
• iGrad (partnered with Kent-Meridian): Friday, June 18
• Kentridge High School: Saturday, June 19
• Kentwood High School: Saturday, June 19
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