Oyster River High School seniors says staff should run graduation: Don't want School Board to participate in ceremony

DURHAM — Oyster River High School seniors who requested the School Board not participate in this year's graduation said it is the school staff who runs graduation, not the board.

In a letter dated May 20, members of the senior class Senate addressed its concern about the board participating in the ceremonies.

"The active role that the board has traditionally played in the ceremony was felt by some to be inappropriate given their feelings about the Board's relationship with the student body," the letter read. "These concerns were expressed by multiple related parties independently."

A few weeks ago class officers polled senior class members and heard a response from 95 of the students. The majority of students, 63, voted in favor of inviting the School Board to their graduation, but asking them not to participate in the ceremony. Only four students voted to keep the graduation as it has been for the past six years, while 14 voted to not invite School Board members at all and another 14 voted to ask School Board members to be sensitive to the seniors' request and attend if they wish.

"It was found by a large majority of the class that the seniors are happy to have any board member who would like to attend be present; however, the students feel no member of the board should be part of the ceremony," the letter said.

High School Principal Laura Rogers said she has heard students wish to return to an older tradition.

"The staff has always planned graduation without the input from the board," she said.

High School Policy IKF states "the staff will arrange each spring for appropriate awards and recognition programs and graduation exercises."

Senior Class President Ethan Hotchkiss said students believe this means the high school staff — not the School Board — has the right to put together graduation.

"We just want to return to a previous tradition," he said.

Before 2005, a member of the faculty would be appointed to hand out diplomas to graduating seniors. However, in 2005, there was neither a high school principal or superintendent of schools at the time of graduation and the School Board stepped up to take on the task, Hotchkiss said.

Since the seniors said the high school staff should get the final say on how graduation is run — with suggestions from the senior class — if the staff decided to ask the School Board to participate in graduation, they would accept the recommendation.

"We would have to respect their decision," Hotchkiss said.

Seniors are planning to poll their peers to look for recommendations of who they would like to nominate to hand out diplomas at the June 10 ceremony.

"We also pay for the majority of the graduation," said senior David Taylor.

For the last four years, students have raised $7,000 from fundraisers to pay for the tent where graduation is held. Taylor said their efforts to pay for graduation should be recognized.

School Board Chair Henry Brackett was scheduled to meet with senior class representatives and principal Laura Rogers, but Hotchkiss said Brackett asked to defer the meeting until after the June 1 School Board meeting. 

Brackett was unavailable for comment on Thursday to explain his decision to reschedule.