PORT ANGELES — The graduation ceremony for the Port Angeles High School Class of 2015 has been relocated from the high school gymnasium to Civic Field because the gym isn’t big enough for all who want to come.
The date and time has not changed.
The commencement ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. June 12 at Civic Field on Race Street, between East Second and East Fourth streets.
The ceremony is being relocated because of concerns for the safety of the more than 2,300 people expected to attend the graduation of about 250 seniors, said Tina Smith O’Hara, spokeswoman for the district.
On May 6, the school district was notified by the city that the gymnasium’s occupant capacity of 1,303 would be exceeded, and the ceremony could not be held in the traditional venue.
Expected at the ceremony are 2,000 guests, 250 graduates, 60 members of the band and orchestra, 32 teachers, five district and school administrators, the five members of the Port Angeles School Board, two secretaries, four junior class officers and four Navy JROTC color guard members, Smith O’Hara said.
Civic Field has covered seating with a seating capacity of 2,500.
Graduates and school officials will be seated on the field.
“We are obviously hoping for good weather, but we are developing a backup plan for bad weather,” Principal Jeff Clark said in a message to senior parents Thursday afternoon.
Graduation announcements with the gymnasium location have already been distributed to students.
At past graduations, admission to the gymnasium has been closely controlled because of the large number of family members who attended and the limited capacity of the gymnasium.
This year, each graduate was allotted five tickets, with additional tickets distributed as they become available from graduates who do not need all five.
“We anticipate that we will be able to fulfill most if not all requests for extra tickets,” Clark said.
Tickets for the ceremony have already been printed with the location listed as “PAHS Gym” but will be honored at the entrance to Civic Field.
The change in venue comes exactly 50 years after the graduation venue was permanently changed in 1965 from the auditorium to the gymnasium to accommodate the wave of large baby boomer graduating classes, according to Peninsula Daily News archives.
In 1975, the graduation was moved for a single year to Civic Field, said John Heilman, a member of the 1975 graduating class and father of Connor Heilman, a member of the class of 2015.
“I’m happy for them to do it,” Heilman said.
The ceremony was a little windy, but the ability to get more family members into the ceremony was worth it, he said.
Thursday’s All City Strings concert was also affected by safety and capacity issues, and was adjusted due to the large number of people who attended the event.
About 600 students were scheduled to perform at the concert.
The concert was split into two shows, reducing the number of people who crowded into the gymnasium to see their children perform.
________
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
