UMBC for graduation?????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery county shouldn't have high schools with enrollment # larger than the counties capacity to host a graduation event. The county has no community. I see on tik tok high school kids having home coming events in DC. I truly regret having raised kids here.

Clearly the county has community. Just because it's not what you define or want as community doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Also, Montgomery County is not the only place that has high schools with large enrollment. As friends district built and whole event center just to be able to hold HS graduations and then be used for other use during the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was this a change that was ever discussed? The email that just came through was the very first I hear anything of this. Very disappointing.

Totally disappointed in this decision. Why the hell would we drive to Baltimore! We aren’t from there!

It's one day. Have you ever driven to BWI? It's not that far.

[Anonymous]

We aren’t from DC or College Park or Emmitsburg either- my niece graduated from Blair years ago and we went to the PG Equestrian Center.

[Anonymous]

https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

If they want to coordinate the logistics and cost let them go right ahead. As long as it doesn’t cost anyone else extra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

If they want to coordinate the logistics and cost let them go right ahead. As long as it doesn’t cost anyone else extra.

+1 Central Office is just mad because the Damascus parents are showing that it was illogical to have the UMBC contract for every high school in the county when some high schools had a tradition of having their graduations on campus, which is far cheaper, and more convenient for all involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

If they want to coordinate the logistics and cost let them go right ahead. As long as it doesn’t cost anyone else extra.

+1 Central Office is just mad because the Damascus parents are showing that it was illogical to have the UMBC contract for every high school in the county when some high schools had a tradition of having their graduations on campus, which is far cheaper, and more convenient for all involved.

How much does it cost to rent the chairs, stage, and other equipment for the graduation ceremony, not to mention the labor in setting up and taking down?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is the graduation schedule.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/graduation/

Traffic will be a nightmare for 6 pm ceremonies.

At least someone was smart enough to not schedule anyone for 6 pm on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the graduation schedule.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/graduation/

Traffic will be a nightmare for 6 pm ceremonies.

At least someone was smart enough to not schedule anyone for 6 pm on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.

All the graduations are after Memorial Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

If they want to coordinate the logistics and cost let them go right ahead. As long as it doesn’t cost anyone else extra.

+1 Central Office is just mad because the Damascus parents are showing that it was illogical to have the UMBC contract for every high school in the county when some high schools had a tradition of having their graduations on campus, which is far cheaper, and more convenient for all involved.

How much does it cost to rent the chairs, stage, and other equipment for the graduation ceremony, not to mention the labor in setting up and taking down?

Damascus parents are willing to pay privately for what was previously covered through their tax dollars rather than waste time and energy driving to Baltimore rather than having their graduation ceremony at their home school which has meaning for the school community.

So they get nothing from MCPS and pay on their own to avoid the Central Office bad decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

If they want to coordinate the logistics and cost let them go right ahead. As long as it doesn’t cost anyone else extra.

+1 Central Office is just mad because the Damascus parents are showing that it was illogical to have the UMBC contract for every high school in the county when some high schools had a tradition of having their graduations on campus, which is far cheaper, and more convenient for all involved.

How much does it cost to rent the chairs, stage, and other equipment for the graduation ceremony, not to mention the labor in setting up and taking down?

Damascus parents are willing to pay privately for what was previously covered through their tax dollars rather than waste time and energy driving to Baltimore rather than having their graduation ceremony at their home school which has meaning for the school community.

So they get nothing from MCPS and pay on their own to avoid the Central Office bad decision.

You didn't answer the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

If they want to coordinate the logistics and cost let them go right ahead. As long as it doesn’t cost anyone else extra.

+1 Central Office is just mad because the Damascus parents are showing that it was illogical to have the UMBC contract for every high school in the county when some high schools had a tradition of having their graduations on campus, which is far cheaper, and more convenient for all involved.

How much does it cost to rent the chairs, stage, and other equipment for the graduation ceremony, not to mention the labor in setting up and taking down?

Damascus parents are willing to pay privately for what was previously covered through their tax dollars rather than waste time and energy driving to Baltimore rather than having their graduation ceremony at their home school which has meaning for the school community.

So they get nothing from MCPS and pay on their own to avoid the Central Office bad decision.

As others have said, if they think themselves so special that they want to spend time, energy, and money planning and putting on their own graduation, go for it. Just don’t be asking Central Office or anyone else for help.

And when their schools are no longer much smaller in comparison to everyone else, I want them to keep up this same energy.

[Anonymous]

We had one graduation on the field at Sherwood and another at UMBC.

UMBC was easy: plenty of parking, and plenty of space. The acoustics weren’t great, but it was fine. We had the ceremony in the morning and then had lunch in Baltimore.

The Sherwood graduation was brutally hot (and someone had a serious medical episode due to the heat).

FWIW, I have friends and family in other states where graduation on the field is the norm. In hot areas, they do the ceremony after dusk and shoot off fireworks afterwards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had one graduation on the field at Sherwood and another at UMBC.

UMBC was easy: plenty of parking, and plenty of space. The acoustics weren’t great, but it was fine. We had the ceremony in the morning and then had lunch in Baltimore.

The Sherwood graduation was brutally hot (and someone had a serious medical episode due to the heat).

FWIW, I have friends and family in other states where graduation on the field is the norm. In hot areas, they do the ceremony after dusk and shoot off fireworks afterwards.

Do those areas have 25 HS with class sizes 500+?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-high-school-graduation-move-baltimore-damascus-umbc-2026-parents-controversy-education-reaction-tradition-ceremony-student-safety-policy-district-decisions-seniors-plans

These parents are a bunch of whining babies. I'm going to be outside protesting their rebel graduation party.

"If for some reason Montgomery County does not agree to allow us to have it on the football field, we are planning to rent the football field the night before, hold our own graduation there, and allow the kids that want to graduate on the field to have the opportunity to," said Gallagher

Lack of notice? It's October 2025. Make some F-ing plans now. You have time.

Worried about kids driving? Oh please chatgpt made that up for you. They can ride with their parents!

Suck it up!!

If they want to coordinate the logistics and cost let them go right ahead. As long as it doesn’t cost anyone else extra.

+1 Central Office is just mad because the Damascus parents are showing that it was illogical to have the UMBC contract for every high school in the county when some high schools had a tradition of having their graduations on campus, which is far cheaper, and more convenient for all involved.

How much does it cost to rent the chairs, stage, and other equipment for the graduation ceremony, not to mention the labor in setting up and taking down?

Damascus parents are willing to pay privately for what was previously covered through their tax dollars rather than waste time and energy driving to Baltimore rather than having their graduation ceremony at their home school which has meaning for the school community.

So they get nothing from MCPS and pay on their own to avoid the Central Office bad decision.

As others have said, if they think themselves so special that they want to spend time, energy, and money planning and putting on their own graduation, go for it. Just don’t be asking Central Office or anyone else for help.

And when their schools are no longer much smaller in comparison to everyone else, I want them to keep up this same energy.

That is literally what the news article is about if you bothered to read it. Damascus is ignoring the crappy Central Office plans at doing graduation their own expense, because more people will be able to come and it's more convenient. This is where MCPS being a huge district goes very wrong-so many top down decisions, and some make zero sense.