They have built a new Events Center in the last 8 years and it is beautiful and spacious. LOTS of parking too. Uncongested. Lovely surroundings.

HS wanted a place for graduation that was appropriate, spacious and had all that they needed to have a graduation ceremony (and did not cost an arm and a leg), parents did not want to pay parking fees and needed uncongested parking, students wanted green grounds to take pictures...UMBC is an excellent choice. DAR is overrated and hard to find parking.

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating from Wheaton and it's at UMBC. I'd rather it was on the school's football field.

Have you ever attended a Wheaton football field graduation? Normally it’s EXTREMELY hot with no shade. Kids and staff sweating in their red and black gowns. No shade for attendees. Limited seating. Grandmothers fainting right and left from the heat.

Yeah, sounds like a great time 🙄

Stop complaining about something you have never experienced.

High schools get to choose among a) DAR; b) UMBC; c) their own school (typically in the football stadium). (I think this is in the form of expressing a preference to MCPS but I don't have reason to think the preferences weren't respected.)

Our school sent out a poll to parents and students to inform their decision. UMBC won. I can't speak for everyone, but we viewed it as better for logistics, parking, and getting enough tickets for grandparents.

But this board had a ton of people complaining/confused about their own school's choice, so I don't think most schools did a similar poll of stakeholders.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a senior at Clarksburg High, our school is now heading to UMBC for graduation. Unfortunately, not a lot of positivity, as most parents are opposing or dislike the venue change for some reason.

Was it DAR?

Nope, ever since CB was established the graduation was always at the Mount St. Mary’s (MSM) arena.

Poolesville's is still at MSM. Maybe Clarksburg has grown too large to be held there?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U Md stopped being an option a couple of years ago. I think it was a cost issue. MCPS passes the costs on to the school if graduation is held there (in most cases). Generally it is cheaper to have it at UMBC. Tow years ago it was going to cost approx $30,000 to have it at Wheaton.

Considering Blair and WJ (both at UMD this year for graduation), they have enough money to graduate at UMD.

As a WJ parent and UMD grad, this makes me very happy! Hope it continues until my kid graduates in a couple years!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a senior at Clarksburg High, our school is now heading to UMBC for graduation. Unfortunately, not a lot of positivity, as most parents are opposing or dislike the venue change for some reason.

Was it DAR?

Nope, ever since CB was established the graduation was always at the Mount St. Mary’s (MSM) arena.

+ minus the graduations during COVID

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a senior at Clarksburg High, our school is now heading to UMBC for graduation. Unfortunately, not a lot of positivity, as most parents are opposing or dislike the venue change for some reason.

Was it DAR?

Nope, ever since CB was established the graduation was always at the Mount St. Mary’s (MSM) arena.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a senior at Clarksburg High, our school is now heading to UMBC for graduation. Unfortunately, not a lot of positivity, as most parents are opposing or dislike the venue change for some reason.

Was it DAR?

Parent of a senior at Clarksburg High, our school is now heading to UMBC for graduation. Unfortunately, not a lot of positivity, as most parents are opposing or dislike the venue change for some reason.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U Md stopped being an option a couple of years ago. I think it was a cost issue. MCPS passes the costs on to the school if graduation is held there (in most cases). Generally it is cheaper to have it at UMBC. Tow years ago it was going to cost approx $30,000 to have it at Wheaton.

Considering Blair and WJ (both at UMD this year for graduation), they have enough money to graduate at UMD.

Those are the two largest HS. Maybe UMBC is too small for them.

Anonymous wrote:U Md stopped being an option a couple of years ago. I think it was a cost issue. MCPS passes the costs on to the school if graduation is held there (in most cases). Generally it is cheaper to have it at UMBC. Tow years ago it was going to cost approx $30,000 to have it at Wheaton.

Considering Blair and WJ (both at UMD this year for graduation), they have enough money to graduate at UMD.

U Md stopped being an option a couple of years ago. I think it was a cost issue. MCPS passes the costs on to the school if graduation is held there (in most cases). Generally it is cheaper to have it at UMBC. Tow years ago it was going to cost approx $30,000 to have it at Wheaton.

Anonymous wrote:UmBC you get 6 tickets. School field would be 2, maybe three?

That would be preferable for me.

UmBC you get 6 tickets. School field would be 2, maybe three?

HS classes are so large, they can't fit at DAR (with all the invited guests), and UMBC is cheaper than UMD