NAUGATUCK — After considerable debate, the Board of Education voted Thursday to schedule Naugatuck High School’s graduation ceremony in June at the Palace Theater in Waterbury.
The exact date has not been set, but the board voted 7-1 to lock in the Palace for a third straight year.
“I am worried about parking at the high school because of the ongoing construction project,” said Janice Saam, the high school’s principal.
The high school is undergoing an $81 million renovate-to-new project that is supposed to be completed in the fall. Because of the project, the graduation, which is traditionally held on the high school football field, has been moved to the Palace for the past two years.
The ceremonies at the Palace have been successful, but some, including school board member Ethel Grant and Mayor Robert Mezzo, want to see them in Naugatuck. They, however, said they realize the concerns about the renovation and voted for the Palace.
Saam also said she’s concerned about having graduation at the football field in future years because people used to sit on a grassy hill on either side of a set of bleachers — which holds about 1,000 people — and will no longer have a good seat because of regrading of the hill. Saam said, however, she would support whatever the community wants.
Board member Glenn Connan said he believes the board should get more comments from students, so he voted against the proposal.
Senior Kassandra Fruin, a student representative to the board, said she wants graduation at the high school and believes many of her fellow seniors agree.
“I am personally not tied to it, I think the Palace is great,” she said. “But I know a lot of seniors would be disappointed if we didn’t have it at the high school.”
Parent Lori Bottinick advocated for the high school, as well. She has a daughter, Emily, a senior who uses a wheelchair. Lori and Andy Bottinick have taken Emily to several shows at the Palace and recently inquired about how she would get her diploma on the Palace stage. She would have to separate from the other grads, leave the auditorium and go into the hallway to access the stage level, Lori Bottinick said.
She said other schools have ramps for students in wheelchairs, which is something she believes would be more appropriate.
“Any situation is going to be undesirable, but we are going to make do with what we have to,” she said.
She said she did not, however, agree with the argument that there is not enough parking because many athletic events at the high school draw thousands of people and parking is rarely an issue.
