Montclair High School’s class of 2008 will carry on a school tradition and receive their diplomas at outdoor ceremonies in the amphitheater on the MHS campus for at least one more year.
Board of Education officials have decided not to relocate the June 23 graduation ceremonies for the 530 graduates as many parents had sought, but they are planning to try to accommodate students’ families by issuing three tickets instead of two to each graduate.
"There was some consideration of for possibly moving graduation to Woodman Field," said Montclair High School Principal Mel Katz, "But the field is under renovation and we also must protect the new field turf."
"At this late of a date," Katz said, there were no other workable alternate options.
Katz indicated that school officials might be able to erect temporary bleachers and take other steps that would increase seating capacity in the amphitheater.
An unusually large graduating class, the tight space available in the amphitheater, the longtime venue for the event, and a ticket limit of two per families prompted complaints from many parents. They expressed fears that siblings, grandparents and other family members would either be excluded from attending the landmark event in the teens’ lives or would have to watch it through breaks in the fencing around the site.
The amphitheater, which is a garden-like setting for the graduation, is a contoured hillside adjacent to MHS. The land is bisected by Toneys Brook and includes an old masonry bridge on which the graduates cross in a traditional march to signify their graduation as a rite of passing.
The parents’ concerns about the ticket limit prompted Nancy Toomey, a mother of one the seniors, to draft a petition to the Board of Education. The petitioners said that continuing to use the amphitheater was no longer reasonable or even safe due to the large crowd.
"We propose using Woodman Field, with either Clary Anderson, or the auditorium or gym as the indoor site
in case it rains," the petition read. "In addition, it may be possible to include the ritual of crossing the bridge either at an earlier time, or even ‘recreating’ a bridge at the field.
"If these alternatives do not seem feasible, perhaps the district can rent space nearby. Suggestions from the community include the South Mountain Arena, the football field at Montclair State University or, perhaps, Life Hall Auditorium at Montclair State University."
In response to the complaints and petition, Montclair Schools Superintendent Frank Alvarez said that district officials would explore options to allow more family members to attend the graduation. Alvarez did caution that a move might be difficult to accomplish this year because of the little time to plan and announce a possible change and because of unbudgeted expenses that might be incurred.
Alvarez also noted that proposed changes in location were opposed in previous years by many students and parents who did not want to abandon the bridge-crossing tradition.
However, in the future, the MHS commencement ceremonies are likely to be on the move.
"My own thought is we should ultimately graduate at an indoor venue such as NJPAC or Rutgers Theatre," Katz said. "They are air conditioned, weather won’t be an issue, and we wouldn’t have to worry about ticket limits."
Katz has had experience in relocating graduation ceremonies. Before taking over as principal at MHS, Katz was principal at Glenfield Middle School. While at the middle school he moved its graduation ceremonies from Glenfield to Montclair High School.
