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Local resident asks Shelton board to reserve an empty chair for students lost before graduation
Summary
Marilyn Aaron urged the district to adopt a modest graduation tradition — reserving an empty chair and briefly naming deceased students — to honor classmates who died before graduation, saying it requires little funding but carries deep meaning for families and peers.
During the public-comment portion of the meeting, Marilyn Aaron asked the board to adopt a small, low-cost tradition to honor students who die before graduation. She proposed reserving an empty chair with a sign, ribbon or cap-and-tassel and reading the names of students who passed away, followed by a brief moment of silence, to acknowledge their place in the graduating class.
"At the graduation ceremony, the district could reserve an empty chair for students who are no longer with us," Aaron said, arguing the gesture "requires no significant funding, no major changes to the ceremony, and only a brief moment of time" while offering dignity and recognition to families and classmates.
Aaron asked the board and superintendent to consider adopting the practice beginning with the class of 2026.
