Church or commencement? Wake to bring back some Sunday high school graduations.
The Wake County school system will resume Sunday morning graduation ceremonies next year — a practice that was stopped over the past six years at the urging of local pastors.
Wake County’s list of spring 2024 high school graduations has four ceremonies scheduled at the Raleigh Convention Center on Sunday, June 9, including 8 a.m. for Wakefield High and 12 p.m. for Leesville Road High. It’s part of a series of graduation changes that will put some high schools into the smaller venue of Memorial Auditorium.
“We recognize that many families have other commitments on Sundays, so our preference is to avoid scheduling graduation ceremonies on Sundays when possible,” the district said in a statement Friday. “Unfortunately, many of the available dates at the Raleigh Convention Center this year conflicted with our high schools’ testing schedules.”
The decision to go back to Sunday graduations isn’t sitting well with the Raleigh Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. The group had complained to the school board in 2017 that Sunday morning graduations forced families to decide between their children and attending worship services.
The pastors asked Wake to not hold graduations on Sundays or at least not before 1 p.m. on Sundays.
“Of course we’re concerned with more than what’s happening on Sunday morning: safety in school and mental health,” the Rev. Stanley Byrd, president of the Raleigh Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, said in an interview Friday. “But historically the hour of worship in service was respected. But it seems it’s not been valued as much now.”
Following pastoral complaints, the only Sunday graduations held in 2018 were in the afternoon and evening. No Sunday graduations were held from 2019-22.
A Sunday graduation was held this year, but it was at 2 p.m. after morning worship services.
Some graduations moved to Memorial Auditorium
Wake holds most of its graduation ceremonies at the Raleigh Convention Center or nearby Meymandi Concert Hall. The district says most schools prefer holding indoor graduations in downtown Raleigh instead of on campus because it provides a large venue that can be used rain or shine.
June graduation ceremonies coincide with end-of-year testing.
“It was necessary to schedule some ceremonies on Sunday to accommodate all schools and to minimize impacts on end-of-year testing,” the district said in the statement. “We also had to move several ceremonies that would have taken place at the Convention Center to Memorial Auditorium.”
Memorial Auditorium has less seating than the Convention Center. The six high schools graduating at Memorial Auditorium are reviewing how many tickets seniors can get, according to Sara Clark, a district spokesperson.
Will there be 2025 Sunday graduations?
Byrd, the pastor, said he understands the difficulties North Carolina’s largest school system has scheduling so many graduations. But he said Wake could have considered alternatives such as holding more ceremonies at 8 a.m.
“They do have some flexibility so they could have not scheduled the two early on that morning,” Byrd said.
But Lisa Luten, a district spokesperson, said holding 8 a.m. ceremonies means schools won’t have enough staff on campus to oversee testing. Wake hasn’t scheduled any 8 a.m. weekday graduations until after the school year has ended.
Byrd said the group plans to show up at a school board meeting to urge the district to not schedule future Sunday morning graduation ceremonies.
The district is working on 2025 graduation dates and locations.
“We will continue working to schedule 2025 and future graduation ceremonies so none will take place on Sundays when possible,” the district said. “We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our students and families. We welcome input from the community and families about this decision.”
Wake Class of 2024 Graduation Schedule
Tuesday, May 21
▪ Wake STEM Early College, Meymandi Hall, 8 a.m.
Wednesday, May 22
▪ Wake Early College of Health and Sciences, Meymandi Hall, 4 p.m.
▪ Knightdale High School, Reynolds Coliseum, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 23
▪ Vernon Malone College and Career Academy, Meymandi Hall, 8 a.m.
▪ Wake Young Men’s and Women’s Leadership Academies, Meymandi Hall, 12 p.m.
▪ North Wake College and Career Academy, Meymandi Hall, 4 p.m.
▪ Southeast Raleigh High School, Reynolds Coliseum, 7 p.m.
Thursday, June 6
▪ Garner High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 4 p.m.
▪ Millbrook High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 8 p.m.
Friday, June 7
▪ Cary High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 12 p.m.
▪ Rolesville High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 4 p.m.
▪ Enloe High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 8
▪ Holly Springs High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 8 a.m.
▪ Athens Drive High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 12 p.m.
▪ Green Hope High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 4 p.m.
▪ Apex Friendship High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 9
▪ Wakefield High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 8 a.m.
▪ Leesville Road High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 12 p.m.
▪ Green Level High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 4 p.m.
▪ Apex High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 8 p.m.
Monday, June 10
▪ Heritage High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 12 p.m.
▪ Wake Forest High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 4 p.m.
▪ Panther Creek High School, Raleigh Convention Center, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 12
▪ Broughton High School, Holliday Gym, 10 a.m.
Thursday, June 13
▪ South Garner High School, Memorial Auditorium, 8 a.m.
▪ Phillips High School, Meymandi Hall, 10 a.m.
▪ Middle Creek High School, Memorial Auditorium, 12 p.m.
▪ Crossroads FLEX, Meymandi Hall, 2 p.m.
▪ East Wake High School, Memorial Auditorium, 4 p.m.
▪ SCORE Academy, Meymandi Hall, 6 p.m.
Friday, June 14
▪ Sanderson High School, Memorial Auditorium, 8 a.m.
▪ Fuquay-Varina High School, Memorial Auditorium, 12 p.m.
▪ Willow Spring High School, Memorial Auditorium, 4 p.m.
This story was originally published October 20, 2023 at 3:52 PM.
