The Board of Education (BOE) approved the 2024-25 calendar on Dec. 7. They scheduled the last day for seniors for May 9, 2025 (a day earlier than this year’s). Graduation is not official, but I hope for next year’s seniors it won’t be May 10.
After all the difficulties graduation has caused for the Class of 2024, the district needs to reconsider having an early graduation.
The 2024 graduation date changed from Thursday, May 30, to Saturday, May 11, over the summer due to a call for graduation to be closer to the seniors’ last day. The original gap resulted from the school year starting later and the district trying to end the year before Memorial Day. The graduation date change, however, creates a multitude of difficulties for seniors.
AP exams are held from May 5 to May 17, so this year’s graduation is between weeks one and two of testing. AP U.S. History, AP Spanish and AP Economics students will take their test during graduation practice on Friday, May 10. AP Calculus students will take their test the Monday morning after graduation. Seniors with exams in week two will have to re-enter the building despite not being a student anymore.
These conflicts will affect a significant number of the senior class: of the 561 students taking AP tests this year, 191 are seniors.
I’m an AP Calculus AB student this year, and I debated even signing up for the test due to the difficulties graduation will cause. The Senior Farewell event begins the night of graduation and lasts until Sunday morning. If I were to participate, I would be significantly sleep-deprived for my Monday morning exam and likely wouldn’t score as well.
I’ve talked to my teacher, parents, and the administration to find the best solution, but there isn’t a perfect one. There is a make-up test date, but it takes place weeks after our in-class preparation. I could miss the Senior Farewell, but that means I wouldn’t get to experience an MHS graduation tradition. I could have not signed up the for AP Calc exam altogether, but all my hard work this year would have gone to waste. Calculus students have to choose between college credit and a memorable end to their high school career, which is a tough place to put any teenager.
Not only will seniors have scheduling conflicts and a disadvantage on the exams, but the end of our senior year won’t be as meaningful. Instead of reflecting on our favorite high school memories, a portion of us will be trying to remember facts, formulas and exam tips. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few students bring study materials to the ceremony or skip it altogether. Graduation is supposed to be a relaxed, bittersweet event, not a stressful distraction from AP tests.
The MHS administration has done its best to accommodate many of the conflicts created by the graduation date. For example, seniors are allowed back into the building to talk to teachers after graduation. The major conflicts, however, remain out of the administration’s reach, and seniors will still have to plan their studies around graduation.
AP seniors from other schools will have more review time, more sleep and a better end to their senior year than the Class of 2024 will. As the graduation date is chosen for the 2024-2025 school year, I would encourage the district to move it to at least Saturday, May 17. That way, only students with tests on Friday, May 16 are affected. It may be too late for the Class of 2024, but we can ensure the next class will have a better, more relaxing graduation.
