DISTRICT makes new plan for graduation.

Superintendent: Events will be held ‘one way or another’

BENTONVILLE — The School District plans to hold traditional graduation ceremonies at both high schools’ stadiums in mid-July if restrictions on social gatherings are lifted.

But the district also is making alternative plans based on how many people are allowed to congregate in an outdoor setting, in accordance with guidance from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We will have commencement one way or another,” Superintendent Debbie Jones told the School Board during its virtual meeting Tuesday.

Bentonville High and West High schools originally were set to hold their graduations at the University of Arkansas’ Walton Arena next month. That plan had to be scratched because of the covid-19 pandemic.

Committees at both schools have been working on alternative plans, which Jennifer Morrow, director of secondary education, released at Tuesday’s meeting.

West High School will hold its ceremony at 8 p.m. July 16 at its stadium. Bentonville High School will hold its ceremony at 8 p.m. July 17 at Tiger Stadium. The rain date will be July 18.

The ceremonies will proceed as usual if gatherings larger than 5,000 are permitted. If gatherings of up to 2,700 are permitted, each graduate would be allotted four on-site guest tickets to keep within crowd limitations. Graduates normally are allotted up to 10 guest tickets each.

In either case, the events will be livestreamed, Morrow said.

If large gatherings are not permitted, the schools will shift to simple events where students receive their diplomas and get pictures taken with family members, in very small groups without an audience, Morrow said.

The district will make plans for each option, and by June 15, “Hopefully we will have enough information to know which one is coming down the pike,” Morrow said.

Matt Burgess, a board member, asked whether administrators had explored the possibility of holding

graduation at venues larger than the high school stadiums, such as Arvest Ballpark in Springdale or Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, which has a capacity of 72,000.

Burgess, whose son is graduating from Bentonville High this year, said the possibility that seniors would be limited to four guests would put him and other families in an awkward situation.

“I have two parents. My wife has two parents. I have a daughter. … So I get to pick which set of grandparents gets to go” to graduation, Burgess said. “So, it’s not a win.”

Other sites were discussed, but some people involved in those discussions were excited about the opportunity to graduate in their home stadium, Morrow said. She said she would look into the possibility of using Razorback Stadium.

Willie Cowgur, a board member, said he sympathized with Burgess but also praised administrators for the job they’ve done.

“I’ve received several emails this week from several close friends that basically are begging to hold a commencement where their kid can walk across a stage and get a diploma,” Cowgur said.

SCHOOL SITE SELECTED

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve a site in southwest Bentonville for construction of an elementary school.

The district’s 13th elementary school will be built on 30 acres at the corner of Southwest Barron and Southwest Opal roads, in the extreme southwest portion of the district, just east of the Benton County Fairgrounds. The district bought the land in 2017 for $990,000.

The unnamed school is scheduled to open in August 2022.

Tanya Sharp, director of student services, said the district studies enrollment growth in each of five sectors labeled north, south, east, west and central. The south and west are the leading sectors in terms of student population, not only for elementary students but for the district overall.

The school will be a single-story building with a capacity of 700 students, said Michelle McClaflin, vice president with Hight Jackson Associates, the architectural firm working on the project.