Starting in 2022, Winamac High School is moving its graduation from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. The Eastern Pulaski School Board recently approved the change, at the recommendation of Superintendent Dara Chezem.
“Several parents have reached out, stating that Friday night graduation conflicts with golf and track IHSAA tournaments, potentially causing a student to have to choose between graduation and tournament competitions,” Chezem said. “They also have shared that it would allow travel time for extended family coming to graduation, if it were held on a Sunday.”
That puts next year’s graduation on June 5, 2022.
While board member Rob Zeider voted in favor of the move to Sunday, he also worried about the lengthy gap that creates from the last day of school. He said it’s always a concern that seniors could make some poor choices, and it needs to be emphasized to them that they haven’t graduated yet.
Chezem said the gap allows for extra makeup days and gives teachers time to finish up grades. “There’s been question as to, in the past, whether a student would be eligible for graduation, and we want a chance to meet with those students and those parents if they didn’t meet the graduation requirements,” Chezem explained.
She said the change won’t affect this year’s graduation, since many families have already made their plans.
