Anonymous
10/23/2025 20:35
Subject: Re:UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS made a rational decision that simplifies the process, solves multiple common complaints, and probably makes financial sense. Of course, this solution also introduces new complaints, one of which they’re trying to address by providing buses.
However, different school communities have different priorities and capabilities. I have no problem with individual schools telling Central Office thanks, but no thanks, and making their own graduation ceremony arrangements at their own expense if that’s what the majority of that school community wants.
Perhaps the UMBC decision makes financial sense for MCPS. But the outcry you're hearing is that this MCPS decision is simply shifting costs from MCPS to the school's communities, particularly for schools that are a long drive from UMBC. If MCPS decided to cut public school buses, and tell parents to drive their children daily if they wanted to attend school, that would be a financial savings to them, but that would not be a rational decision that maximizes well-being of the communities.
+1. This. MCPS trumpets “savings” while a 100,000 community members are pissed about driving an extra 2 hours to what should be a community event.
Nope, maybe 5,000 at most.
And your evidence for that is what? Are there community of surveys where many respondents indicated they would like to spend 2 hours driving to another county to watch their kid’s graduate?
There’s news stories about an entire high school community who are willing to raise tens of thousands of dollars from their own money to cover what should be MCPS’s responsibility so they can have a graduation at their home school as they’ve always done.
Real MCPS parents know it doesn’t take 2 hours to drive to UMBC.
Only trolls
Anonymous
10/23/2025 20:32
Subject: Re:UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS made a rational decision that simplifies the process, solves multiple common complaints, and probably makes financial sense. Of course, this solution also introduces new complaints, one of which they’re trying to address by providing buses.
However, different school communities have different priorities and capabilities. I have no problem with individual schools telling Central Office thanks, but no thanks, and making their own graduation ceremony arrangements at their own expense if that’s what the majority of that school community wants.
Perhaps the UMBC decision makes financial sense for MCPS. But the outcry you're hearing is that this MCPS decision is simply shifting costs from MCPS to the school's communities, particularly for schools that are a long drive from UMBC. If MCPS decided to cut public school buses, and tell parents to drive their children daily if they wanted to attend school, that would be a financial savings to them, but that would not be a rational decision that maximizes well-being of the communities.
+1. This. MCPS trumpets “savings” while a 100,000 community members are pissed about driving an extra 2 hours to what should be a community event.
Nope, maybe 5,000 at most.
And your evidence for that is what? Are there community of surveys where many respondents indicated they would like to spend 2 hours driving to another county to watch their kid’s graduate?
There’s news stories about an entire high school community who are willing to raise tens of thousands of dollars from their own money to cover what should be MCPS’s responsibility so they can have a graduation at their home school as they’ve always done.
And your evidence for your number is what?
Anonymous
10/23/2025 20:23
Subject: Re:UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS made a rational decision that simplifies the process, solves multiple common complaints, and probably makes financial sense. Of course, this solution also introduces new complaints, one of which they’re trying to address by providing buses.
However, different school communities have different priorities and capabilities. I have no problem with individual schools telling Central Office thanks, but no thanks, and making their own graduation ceremony arrangements at their own expense if that’s what the majority of that school community wants.
Perhaps the UMBC decision makes financial sense for MCPS. But the outcry you're hearing is that this MCPS decision is simply shifting costs from MCPS to the school's communities, particularly for schools that are a long drive from UMBC. If MCPS decided to cut public school buses, and tell parents to drive their children daily if they wanted to attend school, that would be a financial savings to them, but that would not be a rational decision that maximizes well-being of the communities.
+1. This. MCPS trumpets “savings” while a 100,000 community members are pissed about driving an extra 2 hours to what should be a community event.
Nope, maybe 5,000 at most.
And your evidence for that is what? Are there community of surveys where many respondents indicated they would like to spend 2 hours driving to another county to watch their kid’s graduate?
There’s news stories about an entire high school community who are willing to raise tens of thousands of dollars from their own money to cover what should be MCPS’s responsibility so they can have a graduation at their home school as they’ve always done.
Anonymous
10/23/2025 19:17
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
It is if you have to be there two hours before the ceremony, and the time slot is 9 am. So we’re leaving the house at 6am. Getting up at 5am? Sounds like the start of an exhausting day.
The same thing you'd do if you had a 9am flight out of BWI. I don't see the big deal. It's one day of your life.
It's one day of your life WHEN YOUR KID IS GRADUATING. Make some effort people.
Not everyone’s life is as easy as yours. Health issues, don’t have a car, caretaker to elderly or disabled kids, the list goes on…..
Those issues would still be issues no matter which venue hosts graduation.
DAR and College park are closer with public transportation.
DAR is too small and there's no parking. College Park is too expensive.
Anonymous
10/23/2025 18:58
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
It is if you have to be there two hours before the ceremony, and the time slot is 9 am. So we’re leaving the house at 6am. Getting up at 5am? Sounds like the start of an exhausting day.
The same thing you'd do if you had a 9am flight out of BWI. I don't see the big deal. It's one day of your life.
It's one day of your life WHEN YOUR KID IS GRADUATING. Make some effort people.
Not everyone’s life is as easy as yours. Health issues, don’t have a car, caretaker to elderly or disabled kids, the list goes on…..
Those issues would still be issues no matter which venue hosts graduation.
DAR and College park are closer with public transportation.
Anonymous
10/23/2025 13:58
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
It is if you have to be there two hours before the ceremony, and the time slot is 9 am. So we’re leaving the house at 6am. Getting up at 5am? Sounds like the start of an exhausting day.
The same thing you'd do if you had a 9am flight out of BWI. I don't see the big deal. It's one day of your life.
It's one day of your life WHEN YOUR KID IS GRADUATING. Make some effort people.
Not everyone’s life is as easy as yours. Health issues, don’t have a car, caretaker to elderly or disabled kids, the list goes on…..
Those issues would still be issues no matter which venue hosts graduation.
Anonymous
10/23/2025 10:44
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
It is if you have to be there two hours before the ceremony, and the time slot is 9 am. So we’re leaving the house at 6am. Getting up at 5am? Sounds like the start of an exhausting day.
The same thing you'd do if you had a 9am flight out of BWI. I don't see the big deal. It's one day of your life.
It's one day of your life WHEN YOUR KID IS GRADUATING. Make some effort people.
Not everyone’s life is as easy as yours. Health issues, don’t have a car, caretaker to elderly or disabled kids, the list goes on…..
Anonymous
10/23/2025 10:37
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Unless you had graduation at your school, people always traveled- to DAR or College Park or Mount St Marys. It is still a community event
Anonymous
10/23/2025 09:01
Subject: Re:UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS made a rational decision that simplifies the process, solves multiple common complaints, and probably makes financial sense. Of course, this solution also introduces new complaints, one of which they’re trying to address by providing buses.
However, different school communities have different priorities and capabilities. I have no problem with individual schools telling Central Office thanks, but no thanks, and making their own graduation ceremony arrangements at their own expense if that’s what the majority of that school community wants.
Perhaps the UMBC decision makes financial sense for MCPS. But the outcry you're hearing is that this MCPS decision is simply shifting costs from MCPS to the school's communities, particularly for schools that are a long drive from UMBC. If MCPS decided to cut public school buses, and tell parents to drive their children daily if they wanted to attend school, that would be a financial savings to them, but that would not be a rational decision that maximizes well-being of the communities.
+1. This. MCPS trumpets “savings” while a 100,000 community members are pissed about driving an extra 2 hours to what should be a community event.
Nope, maybe 5,000 at most.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 21:06
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
It is if you have to be there two hours before the ceremony, and the time slot is 9 am. So we’re leaving the house at 6am. Getting up at 5am? Sounds like the start of an exhausting day.
The same thing you'd do if you had a 9am flight out of BWI. I don't see the big deal. It's one day of your life.
It's one day of your life WHEN YOUR KID IS GRADUATING. Make some effort people.
Why should tens of thousands of community members make the effort to go somewhere that is very inconvenient to them, that isn’t even in our county? Lazy MCPS staff who get paid a salary to find a good solution to this graduation location issue instead picked something that was easiest for them, instead of making an effort to find options that made sense.
Sigh. They have been hosting graduations for decades. There are not any good options in MoCo. This has been thoroughly discussed a hundred times.
I preferred the prior years where there was some semblance of finding venues that were nearer to the school. But some MCPS employee can take credit for having a job “planning graduations for the county” by doing one super lazy contract that makes many schools unhappy and slack off for the rest of the year.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 20:58
Subject: Re:UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS made a rational decision that simplifies the process, solves multiple common complaints, and probably makes financial sense. Of course, this solution also introduces new complaints, one of which they’re trying to address by providing buses.
However, different school communities have different priorities and capabilities. I have no problem with individual schools telling Central Office thanks, but no thanks, and making their own graduation ceremony arrangements at their own expense if that’s what the majority of that school community wants.
Perhaps the UMBC decision makes financial sense for MCPS. But the outcry you're hearing is that this MCPS decision is simply shifting costs from MCPS to the school's communities, particularly for schools that are a long drive from UMBC. If MCPS decided to cut public school buses, and tell parents to drive their children daily if they wanted to attend school, that would be a financial savings to them, but that would not be a rational decision that maximizes well-being of the communities.
+1. This. MCPS trumpets “savings” while a 100,000 community members are pissed about driving an extra 2 hours to what should be a community event.
Many of us are happy about it. People who have had ceremonies there are pretty pleased, compared to past experiences.
This is good for my family. It would be great if there was a comparable option here in MoCo, but there isn’t, so we’re happy with UMBC.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 20:34
Subject: Re:UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS made a rational decision that simplifies the process, solves multiple common complaints, and probably makes financial sense. Of course, this solution also introduces new complaints, one of which they’re trying to address by providing buses.
However, different school communities have different priorities and capabilities. I have no problem with individual schools telling Central Office thanks, but no thanks, and making their own graduation ceremony arrangements at their own expense if that’s what the majority of that school community wants.
Perhaps the UMBC decision makes financial sense for MCPS. But the outcry you're hearing is that this MCPS decision is simply shifting costs from MCPS to the school's communities, particularly for schools that are a long drive from UMBC. If MCPS decided to cut public school buses, and tell parents to drive their children daily if they wanted to attend school, that would be a financial savings to them, but that would not be a rational decision that maximizes well-being of the communities.
+1. This. MCPS trumpets “savings” while a 100,000 community members are pissed about driving an extra 2 hours to what should be a community event.
Many of us are happy about it. People who have had ceremonies there are pretty pleased, compared to past experiences.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 20:33
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
It is if you have to be there two hours before the ceremony, and the time slot is 9 am. So we’re leaving the house at 6am. Getting up at 5am? Sounds like the start of an exhausting day.
The same thing you'd do if you had a 9am flight out of BWI. I don't see the big deal. It's one day of your life.
It's one day of your life WHEN YOUR KID IS GRADUATING. Make some effort people.
Why should tens of thousands of community members make the effort to go somewhere that is very inconvenient to them, that isn’t even in our county? Lazy MCPS staff who get paid a salary to find a good solution to this graduation location issue instead picked something that was easiest for them, instead of making an effort to find options that made sense.
Sigh. They have been hosting graduations for decades. There are not any good options in MoCo. This has been thoroughly discussed a hundred times.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 19:58
Subject: Re:UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS made a rational decision that simplifies the process, solves multiple common complaints, and probably makes financial sense. Of course, this solution also introduces new complaints, one of which they’re trying to address by providing buses.
However, different school communities have different priorities and capabilities. I have no problem with individual schools telling Central Office thanks, but no thanks, and making their own graduation ceremony arrangements at their own expense if that’s what the majority of that school community wants.
Perhaps the UMBC decision makes financial sense for MCPS. But the outcry you're hearing is that this MCPS decision is simply shifting costs from MCPS to the school's communities, particularly for schools that are a long drive from UMBC. If MCPS decided to cut public school buses, and tell parents to drive their children daily if they wanted to attend school, that would be a financial savings to them, but that would not be a rational decision that maximizes well-being of the communities.
+1. This. MCPS trumpets “savings” while a 100,000 community members are pissed about driving an extra 2 hours to what should be a community event.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 19:57
Subject: UMBC for graduation?????
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
It is if you have to be there two hours before the ceremony, and the time slot is 9 am. So we’re leaving the house at 6am. Getting up at 5am? Sounds like the start of an exhausting day.
The same thing you'd do if you had a 9am flight out of BWI. I don't see the big deal. It's one day of your life.
It's one day of your life WHEN YOUR KID IS GRADUATING. Make some effort people.
Why should tens of thousands of community members make the effort to go somewhere that is very inconvenient to them, that isn’t even in our county? Lazy MCPS staff who get paid a salary to find a good solution to this graduation location issue instead picked something that was easiest for them, instead of making an effort to find options that made sense.