Dist. 204 moves 2012 graduation ceremonies to NIU in DeKalb

Members of the first class to graduate from Metea Valley High School in Indian Prairie Unit District 204 will walk across a stage in DeKalb next spring, more than 30 miles from their school in Aurora.

Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2012 at all three high schools in District 204 will be held May 27 at Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center instead of the district’s previous graduation venue at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, officials said.

After opening in 2009, this is the first year Metea joins Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools in graduating a class of seniors.

But that milestone didn’t sway the district in choosing a new venue, district spokeswoman Janet Buglio said.

“Metea holding its first graduation did not factor into the decision,” Buglio said in an email. “The main factor was the COD construction project and concerns about COD accommodating our ceremonies.”

Construction at COD “creates some safety concerns for our large graduation crowds,” the district wrote in an email explaining the decision to parents.

If the district held graduations at COD and severe weather struck, crowds would have to walk about 1,000 feet across a courtyard to seek shelter. Space for graduates to check in, line up, return gowns and pick up diplomas also was eliminated by construction, district officials said.

Hosting the ceremonies at the 10,000-seat Convocation Center will allow students to receive more tickets for graduation spectators.

“The part of Northern Illinois that’s been embraced more than anything else is the ability to have a significantly higher number of tickets,” said Curt Bradshaw, school board president. “It does seem like a good opportunity to try a different venue, especially one that will accommodate all three high schools the same day and provide a lot more tickets.”

The district does not yet know the exact number of tickets that will be available, Buglio said.

The NIU facility also offers large screens to enhance viewing of the ceremony. And the facility will cost the district $12,000 less than the COD space would have, according to the message sent to parents.

High school principals plan to meet Wednesday to discuss details of the new graduation location before speaking to students or the public about the decision.