Decorah School Board holds firm to 2016 graduation date for DHS

On Monday night the Decorah Community School Board heard from Jackie Wilkie, who had circulated a petition to change the scheduled graduation date for Decorah High School from May 22, 2016, to the following weekend, Memorial Day weekend.  The petition had 189 signatures.

Wilkie highlighted objections to the May 22 date, which included conflicts for Luther employees, congestion in town, lack of housing and dining options on that day, and economic hardships for local businesses and their employees.
    
There was considerable interchange with Wilkie and the Board. The Board said that nobody really wanted Luther graduation and DHS graduation to be on the same day, but that what was best for Decorah students included two primary issues - education and safety. Staff believed that students were more likely to accomplish graduation requirements with a short gap between last day of senior classes and commencement. They also said that a long gap between classes and commencement provides too much time for safety and behavioral issues (mostly alcohol related) to arise and interfere with student participation. Superintendent Mike Haluska had provided anecdotal information supporting that position.

Wilkie said she "didn't find that a compelling argument and that tragedies can, and do, happen anytime."

Board President Ron Fadness said that "past experience is instructive." Haluska added that accommodations are being made for those who cannot make it on a specific day, such as video streaming of the graduation exercises. Several members noted that graduation parties are held at many different times.

In the public comment time prior to the discussion, one Decorah resident, Rebecca Swella Smedsrud provided similar comments to Wilkie, but also offered an alternative academic calendar for the Board to consider that would have shifted class days to make a Memorial Day weekend graduation closer to the last day for seniors. In their discussion the Board acknowledged the alternate calendar but said preparing the school calendar went far beyond start and stop dates and the total number of class days.

The Board instructed Superintendent Haluska to explore the possibility of a later start time for commencement ceremonies, such as 2:00 or 2:30 p.m. Luther officials indicated that would help ease the conflict since commencement is usually done by 12:30 p.m.