Walden Grove High School students and parents say they arenโt happy that this yearโs graduation will be held in Tucson rather than at the school in Sahuarita, due to a construction project, and that the venue change wasnโt announced sooner.
โI wish you guys would look at this as if you hand a kid graduating right now,โ a speaker told the Sahuarita Unified School District governing board Wednesday night. She said she is a parent of a Walden Grove senior.
The Walden Grove Class of 2024 graduation ceremony is rescheduled for May 24 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tucson, at 2500 E. Ajo Way. It was previously slated for May 23 at the main athletic field at Walden Grove, at 15510 S. Sahuarita Park Road, south of Tucson.
One parent said the construction project at the field was confirmed last year but the venue change wasnโt announced until a few days ago. Thatโs a complication for those who already reserved spaces for graduation celebrations, as well as for friends and family coming to graduation from out of town, the board was told.
For students, the venue change hits hard sentimentally, with some saying graduation wonโt be the same without a Walden Grove-hosted ceremony. Senior Stryker Johnson told the board he and his classmates already missed their eighth-grade graduation because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Towards the start of the meeting, Sahuarita Superintendent Manuel Valenzuela thanked Walden Grove Principal Kristen Miller for her โhard work, her thoughtfulness and her vision of leadership in addressing the very understandably sensitive situation involving (Walden Grove) graduation. Kristen, you have my full support.โ
The Sahuarita district office did not immediately respond to the Starโs request Thursday for additional details.
