St. Cloud district shares graduation survey showing preference for River's Edge, several changes under consideration

St. Cloud Public School District administrators on Oct. 15 presented stakeholder feedback on graduation ceremonies and said the superintendent and district administration will make a final decision within the next few weeks.

The presentation by Jason Harris, assistant superintendent of secondary education, and Molly Kenzie, principal of Tech High School, summarized survey responses from about 150 students and nearly 250 families. "Graduation celebrates the academic achievement and personal growth, recognizing students' dedication and adaptability as they prepare for their future," Harris told the board as he introduced the findings.

The survey asked respondents to choose between continuing ceremonies at River's Edge Convention Center (option A) or returning to the students' home high school campus (option B). "On the student side, option A is River's Edge Convention Center," Kenzie said. "For the students they selected option A, River's Edge Convention Center ... 52% surveyed wanting it to stay at River's Edge Convention Center." Families were more divided.

Stakeholders identified several priorities administrators plan to address: ensuring each graduate is called and heard, improving venue sight lines and sound, designating outside celebration areas so in-venue noise can be controlled, clearer pre-event communication about expectations and consequences, and increased adult presence to support safety and decorum. Kenzie summarized open-ended feedback as: "Communicate clearly and early, set high expectations for a respectful environment, keep commitments made related to protocols ... increase security and adult presence ... and use accessibility supports for languages, mobility, and sensory needs."

The survey also asked about ticketing. Students favored equal distribution (current practice) and some requested a system with accommodations for larger families; families more commonly favored equal distribution but split across request-based or lottery options for extra tickets. On layout, 26% of families preferred bringing seating closer to the stage to improve intimacy and audibility; 22% wanted the current distance preserved while improving sight lines and sound.

Board members pressed on timing and implementation. "When will the decision be made? Do you have a timeline in mind for that?" asked board member Al Dahlgren. Kenzie replied the district aims to decide before the end of the month to allow time to inform River's Edge and to work with the venue on layout changes.

Administrators described several concrete steps under consideration. These include adding visual name displays so names are visible when read aloud, standardizing reading pace for name readers (staff stated readers are asked to keep names to about six seconds), designated zones outside for celebration, accessible broadcasts or TVs for late arrivals, and a family advisory group or student advisory representation on the graduation planning team.

Kenzie noted the district plans to incorporate student voice: the survey indicated students would help communicate final decisions to classmates and join a student advisory group. Harris said the superintendent and district team will review the feedback and communicate the final plan once decided.