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Superintendent says graduation 2026 date depends on State Farm Center availability; contract pending
Summary
Superintendent Chad Benedict told the board the district is negotiating with the State Farm Center and University of Illinois for a graduation 2026 date; he said the district prefers an earlier date and will seek a signed contract before asking the board to vote.
Superintendent Chad Benedict told the Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3 Board of Education on May 5 that the date and venue for the 2026 commencement are not finalized and depend on availability and a contract with the State Farm Center at the University of Illinois.
Benedict said the district chose an earlier date this year rather than the traditional Memorial Day weekend slot because university graduation schedules and venue availability presented conflicts. "I'm not comfortable saying to for you guys to vote on it just yet. I'd like to have that contract, in place," Benedict said. He said the district is working with the State Farm Center to secure a date for 2026 but that the venue had not guaranteed the district’s preferred weekend.
Board members discussed alternatives including holding graduation on a different weeknight or returning to a Memorial Day–weekend date if the center’s booking changed; Benedict said those options could be explored. Benedict also said student-athlete conflicts with IHSA state meet dates are handled by excusing participants from mandatory practices and coordinating with families so athletes can attend graduation.
Benedict said he has requested a written contract: "I've asked them to get me, the contract." The board did not vote on a 2026 graduation date at the meeting; Benedict said he would return with a contract and a recommendation when the venue’s availability is confirmed.
