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ISD 191 board asks superintendent to develop plan to move Burnsville High graduation off campus after security concerns
Summary
Following reported ticketing problems and confrontations at this year’s graduation, board members unanimously supported asking Superintendent Latanya Daniels to develop a plan for relocating graduation to an off‑campus venue better suited for large crowds.
The ISD 191 Board of Education on Sept. 11 asked Superintendent Latanya Daniels and her team to draft a plan to move Burnsville High School’s graduation to an off‑campus venue after a closed‑session review of graduation security held Aug. 28. Chair Werb summarized the discussion and recommended the board request a plan; the board voiced unanimous support for the recommendation.
Werb described the closed‑session briefing from staff and Burnsville Police Department partners — Chief Tanya Swartz, Sergeant Brent Murray, Sergeant Jeremiah Mahler and Captain Sean Ainslemont — and recounted security measures used this year, including ticketing, a private security firm, added police presence, a hard cutoff time for stadium entry, and months of planning. Werb said ticketing was “not seamless” and that some people attempted to use fake tickets; with many people gathered outside the gates, staff reported confrontations and heightened tension. Werb said staff reported being traumatized and that some indicated they would not participate in future graduations held at the school.
Board members emphasized capacity and staff safety as primary concerns. Director Anderson said the situation showed the district had “outgrown the football field” and noted the value of a venue where guests have assigned seating; Director Hall and others favored indoor venues for better space management and security. Director Mickelson highlighted weather uncertainty as an additional reason to prefer an indoor facility. Director Hume referenced recent shootings at other schools and supported a change “to make it much less likely” that students, families, staff and the community would suffer similar harm.
The board did not adopt a motion to select a specific alternate venue at the meeting; instead, members asked the superintendent to prepare a plan for a location “that’s intended for large gatherings and where they have experience managing crowds,” and to develop a communication and transportation approach for families and staff. Superintendent Daniels said her team will work “very diligently and communicate very clearly the process we will engage in to make this transition.” The board indicated unanimous support for the direction.
