Listen to the Class, Not the Crowd
Who should decide the location and how to keep students at the center
Graduation is one of the few moments in school that feels truly permanent. Students only get one. Families carry memories of their own ceremonies for decades, which is why alum opinions come in strong. All of that is real, and it is also why the process has to be handled with care. Change is part of school life. Sometimes change makes us happy, and sometimes it makes us sad. The question is not whether change is allowed. The question is whether we use the right lane to make decisions and whether we treat student voice as meaningful rather than performative.
In LBUSD, the right lane for graduation logistics, including location, is not on the School Board agenda. It is the school site, under the superintendent’s oversight.
What the Board is supposed to do
LBUSD Board Policy 9000 lays out the Board’s role in plain terms. The Board sets direction, adopts policy, approves budgets, and provides oversight by holding the superintendent accountable for results. That is governance. It is the big picture, the guardrails, and the accountability. It is not managing the details of school operations or planning a ceremony.
What Board members are not supposed to do
LBUSD Board Bylaw 9200 reinforces a core governance boundary: individual board members do not have authority beyond actions taken by the Board as a whole, and board members should not exercise administrative responsibility over the schools or direct staff work. If the issue is operational, it runs through the superintendent and the district’s normal process. That boundary is there to keep schools stable, decision-making consistent, and staff able to do their jobs without politics driving daily operations.
Who manages graduation
LBUSD Board Policy 5127, Graduation Ceremonies and Activities, treats graduation as an administrative function. Across the policy, graduation decisions and implementation sit with site administration, the principal, and the superintendent or designee. The policy does not list every possible detail by name, but the structure is consistent: graduation is managed through school leadership within Board policy.
What state law supports
California Education Code 35161 supports a governance model in which the Board may delegate operational powers and duties to district employees while retaining ultimate responsibility. Education Code 35035 describes the superintendent as the Board's chief executive officer, responsible for administration. In other words, the Board sets policy and expectations, and the superintendent and school leaders run operations. Graduation planning fits that operational space.
What that means for the graduation location
Graduation location is a logistics decision. It involves crowd and safety planning, staffing, accessibility, facility readiness, scheduling, and cost. Those are management decisions. They should be led at the high school site, with superintendent oversight, using a clear process and clear criteria.
Where student voice fits
Students are the people directly affected. When students vote, speak publicly, and make a clear request about the ceremony they will live through, adults should treat that input with respect. That does not mean every preference automatically wins, but it does mean the process should be student-centered, transparent, and explained honestly. Overriding students through a board-level fight teaches the wrong lesson. It tells students their voices are optional and their participation is just for show.
What the Board can do appropriately
If the Board wants to be involved responsibly, there is a clean path that stays in the governance lane. The Board can set expectations for a transparent site-led process, ask the superintendent to confirm the criteria being used, and ensure safety, access, and cost considerations are addressed.
That is oversight. That is accountability. It is not the Board deciding the venue.