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Parents and students urge board to keep brick‑and‑mortar and online graduations separate
Summary
Parents, a senior‑class president and some board members argued against combining the brick‑and‑mortar high‑school commencement with the district’s online academy ceremony, asking the superintendent to research alternatives and potential separate ceremonies rather than rushing a policy change.
Community members urged the Las Animas School District No. Re‑1 board to reject a combined graduation for the district’s brick‑and‑mortar high school and its online academy, saying the two programs are held to different standards and that combining ceremonies would be unfair to students who raised funds and participated in class activities.
“Each class of students is held to a different standard and I think they deserve to have their own graduation,” Christine said during public participation, arguing that criteria and student experience differ between the two programs. Louise, identifying herself as president of the senior class, told the board, “We believe it’s unfair because they haven’t contributed much to the class. We came to an agreement to respectfully disagree with having the online academy students get that chance to walk with us on graduation.”
Board members heard those concerns and several said they wanted more study rather than an immediate policy change. One board member suggested directing the superintendent to develop options that could include holding a separate ceremony at the district site or scheduling two ceremonies on different days to preserve equity for both sets of students. A board discussion also noted that any policy change would require multiple readings and should not be rushed before an upcoming graduation.
The board did not adopt a new policy at the meeting. Instead, members generally supported tabling immediate action and asked the superintendent to report back with research and a proposal that balances both groups’ interests for future consideration. The board’s next regular meeting was set for April 15, 2026.
