Rockdale schools recommend New Birth Church as indoor site for 2026 graduations

Rockdale County Public Schools staff recommended that the district hold its 2026 high school graduations at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and asked the Board of Education to approve a contract covering the venue for the May 29, 2026 ceremonies.

The superintendent’s recommendation, presented by Kimberly Hunter of the Office of Accountability and Student School Performance, called for a contract valued at $105,000 to be paid from senior fees. Hunter told the board the district surveyed parents and students from the class of 2026; "1,026 survey results were submitted. 920 votes, which is 90%, voted for New Birth. 106 votes, which was 10%, voted for the local school," she said. The recommendation will be placed on the board’s consent agenda for the regular session next week.

The district’s rationale emphasized logistics and safety. Hunter said using an indoor venue removes the risk of weather-related rescheduling and reduces the chance of medical or safety emergencies during ceremonies. Parent speaker Jessica Oglesby urged the board to keep graduations at New Birth, citing family accessibility and security: "Holding graduation indoors allows for a better security measures such as bag checks and assures families... can celebrate in a controlled and safe environment," she said, and contrasted an earlier stadium ceremony that she described as difficult for family members with limited mobility.

Hunter also said the district moved the graduation date to May 29 to allow teachers to participate because the date is now a professional learning day in the school calendar.

At the work session the board heard the recommendation and discussed next steps; the contract itself was presented as a superintendent recommendation and was not voted on at the work session. The board took a separate procedural vote to place action items on the regular-session consent agenda; the venue contract is scheduled for formal consideration at that meeting.

If approved at the regular session, the district will continue the practice it used in 2023–2025 of holding graduations indoors at New Birth, the presentation said. The board did not record additional funding sources beyond the senior fees that were listed to cover the $105,000 cost.

The district packet and Hunter’s presentation noted that alternative venues were considered, that New Birth’s estimate was lower than some comparable venues, and that ticket allocation and parking were factors in the selection process. No formal vote on the contract occurred during the work session.