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Parade committee urges District 88 to avoid Sunday graduation conflicts with Lombard Lollock Parade
Summary
A member of the Lombard Lollock Parade committee asked the board to consider scheduling changes so Willowbrook High School's graduation does not conflict with the long-running community parade, citing impacts on band, ROTC and student participation.
A Lombard Lollock Parade committee representative told the DuPage High School District 88 board the community parade has clashed with Willowbrook High School graduation for the past 11 years and asked the district to consider moving graduation off parade day.
Laura Sysinka, a parade committee member and Willowbrook alumna, said the parade has been a 70‑year tradition and that because Willowbrook’s graduation often falls on the parade day, the district and parade lose band and ROTC participation and visible school representation. She said the band sometimes cannot participate fully because of graduation timing and street closures.
"Let's try to contact Willowbrook to get their football players, get their basketball players to carry down," Sysinka said, describing past reliance on Glenbard East student-athletes to carry banners. She asked whether the district could consider graduating on a Saturday instead of Sunday or otherwise coordinate to preserve school participation in the parade. She offered the parade committee's contact details and said the nonprofit can provide community-service opportunities for students.
Board members said they would note the comment and directed staff to accept the parade committee's contact information for follow up. The remarks occurred during the public comment portion of the meeting; no board action was taken that night.
