Dear WBHS Community,

As we begin another school year, we want to take a moment to address an important conversation taking place across our community regarding the location of high school graduation ceremonies.

We recognize that graduation is about much more than a location. It is a celebration of years of hard work, perseverance, achievement, and the support of families, teachers, coaches, mentors, and an entire community. For many families, graduation is one of the most meaningful moments they will experience together. We understand why the traditions and familiar settings surrounding commencement are important to so many people.

Many of us are proud graduates of Winder-Barrow High School, and several members of our Board have family members who have proudly graduated as Bulldoggs. We understand the emotion and pride associated with our schools and their traditions because we share it.

At the same time, our responsibility as a Board of Education is to ensure that our schools and school system provide safe, accessible, and supportive environments for our students and families. That responsibility requires us to continually evaluate how we hold large events as our community and our schools change.

It is also important to clarify the role of the Board of Education. The Board establishes policy and provides governance for the school system. Decisions regarding the day-to-day operations of our schools, including the specific location of a graduation ceremony are operational decisions made by school and system leaders. The Board's role is to provide appropriate oversight and support those leaders as they make decisions in the best interest of students and families.

The reasons we support the decision to hold our high school graduation ceremonies at Akins Ford Arena are below.

A Climate-Controlled Environment
Graduation ceremonies take place during a time of year when heat and unpredictable weather can create significant challenges. A climate-controlled facility provides a more comfortable environment for graduates, families, staff, and guests.

It also provides greater certainty. Outdoor ceremonies can be affected by extreme heat, storms, or other weather conditions that may require delays, changes, or rescheduling. A climate-controlled environment reduces those concerns and allows families to plan for this important milestone with greater confidence.

Most importantly, an indoor setting makes graduation more accessible to family members who may not be able to safely tolerate prolonged exposure to heat or difficult weather conditions.

More Space for Our Growing Community
Our graduating classes have grown considerably over time, which means the number of family members and friends who want to celebrate alongside them grows as well.

Our school facilities were not designed to accommodate the increasing number of guests who want to attend graduation while also providing a safe and comfortable experience. Holding graduation at Akins Ford Arena gives us significantly greater capacity and allows more family members and friends to be present without requiring schools to place restrictive limits on attendance.

Medical Support
Large gatherings require thoughtful planning and preparation. Akins Ford Arena provides an environment where appropriate safety measures and medical support can be incorporated into the event.

Having medical personnel available and prepared to respond to the needs of a large crowd provides an additional level of support for students, families, and guests.

When we are responsible for bringing thousands of people together in one place, we must consider every aspect of their safety and well-being.

Better Visibility and Celebration of Our Graduates
Akins Ford Arena allows us to use large video screens and enhanced audio and visual capabilities so that families and guests can clearly see and hear their graduates as they walk across the stage and receive their diplomas.

Our goal is to create a graduation experience where the focus remains on celebrating our students and their accomplishments.

Honoring Tradition While Creating New Memories
We understand that change can be difficult, particularly when it involves traditions that have been part of our community for many years. We do not take those traditions for granted, nor do we believe that moving graduation to Akins Ford Arena diminishes the significance of the accomplishments being celebrated.

Our leaders are charged to make decisions that serve today's students and families while continuing to honor the pride we all have in our schools.

Ultimately, when we are entrusted with the safety and well-being of thousands of students, families, staff, and guests, our leaders must put those responsibilities first. We believe the combination of medical support, accessibility, capacity, comfort, and the ability to welcome more community members to celebrate our graduates makes Akins Ford Arena the right setting for our commencement ceremonies.

We also recognize that there will be differing opinions about this decision, and we respect those perspectives. Passion for our schools and our traditions is one of the things that makes Barrow County such a special community.

Our hope is that we can come together to celebrate our students and the tremendous accomplishments of the Class of 2027 and every graduating class that follows.

The graduates, their families, their accomplishments, and the pride of our community will continue to make graduation special.

We look forward to celebrating our students together and creating new memories and new traditions for generations of Barrow County graduates to come.

Sincerely,
The Barrow County Board of Education