Watertown schools celebrate All-State musicians and outline graduation week events

Watertown School District 14-4 honored students from Watertown High School and Lake Area Technical College who earned All-State music recognition and other honors during its May board meeting.

Administrators called up choir sopranos, altos, basses and tenors and named students selected to All-State Chorus, and singled out Axel Lai for representing the district at All-State Band and All-State Orchestra. The group received applause and a group photo.

President Sanderson and Mrs. McClemens provided details about graduation week: a Gradfest parade beginning at 4:00 p.m. Thursday moving from McKinley Park along Kemp Avenue back to campus, followed by campus festivities from 4:30–9:00 p.m. with music, games and free food for the first 500 attendees starting at 5:00 p.m. A Native American honoring ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at DD Miller Auditorium; Friday’s commencement at the Civic Arena is a ticketed event, with roughly 610 students planning to walk and about 883 students currently eligible to graduate by the end of the summer term.

Mrs. McClemens noted program highlights: diesel technology (~120 graduates), agricultural programs (~93 graduates), and licensed practical nursing (~88 eligible). The class of 2026 will be the first to graduate students from the district’s uncrewed aerial systems completers program; the Lake Area Tech choir will perform the national anthem. Commencement speaker will be Lieutenant Governor Matt Michaels. Administrators said they will present a full graduate-outcomes report to the board in June.

The board closed the recognitions with congratulations and an invitation to the community to attend graduation-related events.