Seniors present petition seeking permission to decorate graduation caps; students and board ask for administrative follow‑up

Two seniors representing the Class of 2025 asked the board to remove the district’s prohibition on decorating graduation caps and proposed a verification process to ensure appropriateness.

Sonora Lilly said seniors view caps as a longstanding way to celebrate achievement and to honor family members who cannot attend. Lilly acknowledged some students might misuse the privilege and proposed that students bring decorated caps to the graduation practice so teachers could confirm they were school‑appropriate; she suggested the district provide a small supply of blank caps to replace inappropriate designs at practice.

Anaya Perry Price said the petition began as a paper petition and expanded to a Google form; she said more than 300 seniors from Montgomery and Lake Creek had signed. “We believe this demonstrates what Dr. Ruffin spoke about — a collective effort being a success,” Perry Price said.

Superintendent Dr. Ruffin asked that an appropriate designee follow up with the students and the board noted the request will be handled administratively; trustees did not vote on a policy change during the meeting.

Ending: Staff were asked to follow up with student representatives and return with a recommended administrative process or policy option; no formal board action was taken at the April 15 meeting.