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grad06

To flip tassel, leave county

Two Pinellas high schools - East Lake and Palm Harbor University - will hold their graduations at the University of South Florida Sun Dome.

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published May 8, 2006

Hundreds of high school graduates in North Pinellas will have to cross the county line in order to cross the graduation stage.

That's because this year, instead of graduation being at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor University High School and East Lake High School will hold their commencement ceremonies at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. The dome is in Hillsborough County, about 30 miles from both schools.

Nine of the Pinellas County district's 16 high schools held graduation ceremonies at the Trop last year. And the 1.1-million-square-foot location seemed like a perfect choice for 2006.

That was until Major League Baseball released its 2006 schedule last August. The schedule included a nine-game homestand for the Devil Rays from May 12-21. Both East Lake and Palm Harbor University high schools' graduation ceremonies are scheduled for May 17.

"Believe me, if it was up to us we would do it without a thought," Tampa Bay Devil Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn said of accommodating the two schools' graduation ceremonies. "We were as disappointed as anyone. After we found out, the first call I made was to the league to see if they could change something, the second was to the school system."

After being notified that Tropicana wouldn't be available, school principals began surveying parents and students about which alternate locations they would prefer and which amenities were most important.

The Sun Dome ranked high among parents and students, because of the air conditioning and its large capacity, which would allow for unlimited seating.

"We have the largest graduating class in Pinellas - 550 - and we don't have enough space or parking on our football field," said Harry Brown, principal at Palm Harbor University High. "The Sun Dome was worth the distance for the air conditioning."

East Lake principal Clayton Snare agreed.

"I've had football field graduation experiences," Snare said. "I am not willing to go through the stress of whether or not the weather will be appropriate. I've been out there where it's been like a microwave and everyone was uncomfortable."

Before Tropicana became the graduation site for Pinellas schools in 2005, many used the Times Arena at Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg for graduations. The site was torn down in 2004.

Both East Lake and Palm Harbor University high schools have graduating classes of more than 500 students, which canceled out other venues in Pinellas County such as Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Mahaffey Theatre. Both venues hold about 2,000 people.

The newly built Calvary Baptist Church on McMullen-Booth Road in Clearwater was considered, but that was scratched when officials couldn't guarantee construction would be complete, Brown said.

"I think from the school district's perspective when you look at graduations, it's an event that's exciting and festive for many families," said Sterling Ivey, spokesman for Pinellas County schools. "But having a venue large enough to hold 600 or 700 graduates as well as their family members is difficult to find in Pinellas County."

The Sun Dome, a multipurpose sports and entertainment facility, can seat up to 11,000 people. Pinellas school officials said easy access to the facility from Interstate 275 should limit any apprehension families have about the distance.

To add to the facility's allure are large screen televisions and plenty of parking.

"I think their (the student body) first reaction was the Sun Dome seems far way," said 18-year-old Bryce Crouch, senior class president at Palm Harbor University High School. "But everyone graduated from the Tropicana last year, so it's not like that was really close. It's almost an equal distance."

The Sun Dome might not be much farther than the Tropicana, but it does cost more.

Rental fees for Tropicana Field were about $5,000 last year, Snare said. The Sun Dome will cost $7,000, Brown said.

School administrators begin scheduling for high school graduations in September. Many things are considered when picking a date and location, including the number of seniors, the final exam schedules and the plethora of other May activities that begin to flood the calendar of graduating seniors.

"It's something that we have to really think about," Brown said. "We're trying to pick the best date and time for our students and families."

While Tropicana provides unlimited seating for attendees and keeps kids in the county, there's no guarantee from year to year that the facility will be available - a fact that might influence school officials planning for next year.

"It's a hit or miss kind of thing," Snare said."So we're looking at alternatives."

[Last modified May 8, 2006, 02:30:18]