Peninsula School District changes graduation to Mount Tahoma. Here’s why
The Peninsula School District has changed the date and venue of graduation to Saturday, June 12 at Mount Tahoma Stadium.
Peninsula high school’s ceremony will be at 10 a.m. followed by Gig Harbor high school at 1 p.m.
The event was originally supposed to be at the Tacoma Dome on Saturday, June 19. However, in an email, the district say they “determined the Tacoma Dome’s participant seating regulations were too restrictive for families.”
The district said “the outdoor setting at Mount Tahoma Stadium allows for each graduate to have six tickets for family and friends compared to a more limited number allowed inside the Tacoma Dome.”
The stadium, built in 2004, is next to the high school at 4634 S, 74th St. in South Tacoma. It has two covered outdoor grandstands, which in normal times can seat 2,500 people each. It has hosted several big regional athletic events, including the WIAA state track and field championships in and the Gridiron Classic in 2019. There is ample parking onsite.
The district also said there will be a graduation car parade on Sunday, June 13 along Harbor Hill Drive. Peninsula will again go first at 1 p.m. follow by Gig Harbor at 4 p.m. The district said more details will come soon.
“We apologize if this conflicts with any plans you’ve made, but we feel this is the best plan to honor our 2021 graduates and their families,” the unsigned email said. “More information about the graduation ceremonies will be communicated with graduates and families in the next few weeks.”
In response to an email, a spokesperson for the district said that students or families looking for refunds on graduation announcements will have to contact the vendor directly.
“Graduation announcements are provided by Jostens, so parents need to work with them directly for any refunds.” Jostens has provided a free PDF design “as an option for students to share with family and friends,” the district said.
The PDF may be downloaded at https://rrgrad.com/lib/global/change-date-insert-cards.pdf
This story was originally published May 13, 2021 at 4:34 PM.
