It seems the students in Richmond Hill High School’s Class of 2014 won’t be receiving their diplomas in the Savannah Civic Center, members of the Bryan County Board of Education learned at a Thursday workshop.
“We’ve got a little bit of a unique challenge,” said Dr. Paul Brooksher, superintendent of Bryan County Schools.
“Savannah-Chatham Schools has adjusted their school calendar and in doing so they’ve booked out the Civic Center, so we need an alternative for Richmond Hill High School’s graduation.”
Graduation is set for May 24 and RHHS is expected to award diplomas to more than 400 students this school year, according to school officials who planned to go back to the Civic Center next spring before learning Savannah-Chatham Schools had already booked from May 21-27.
“They’ve got home field advantage,” Brooksher told the BoE, setting in motion a discussion on the pros and cons of various sites in the area.
Since each graduate receives 10 tickets to distribute to family members, RHHS graduation ceremonies draw a crowd. Before moving graduation to the Civic Center, the school has in previous years filled up the arena at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
That’s not an option this year, BoE members told assistant superintendent Dr. Trey Robinson, who is spearheading the search for a place that holds more than 4,000 people.
Among the possibilities discussed Thursday were Savannah State’s basketball arena, which seats 5,000; the International Trade Center; Savannah State’s football stadium; Georgia Southern; and holding graduation at the high school’s football field.
“We do need to find a place pretty quick,” Robertson told the school board. “We’ve got to start printing graduation letters pretty soon.”