The Kingston Excessive Faculty (KHS) Class of 2023 could have their commencement ceremony at Dietz Stadium in any case.
Work on the in depth $20 million undertaking to revive and improve the venerable facility was meant to be underway, however throughout a planning assembly final month it was revealed that development delays allowed not just for the KHS commencement ceremony to happen in its conventional venue, but in addition for lots of the Tigers’ spring sports activities to be performed there as nicely.
KCSD Superintendent Paul Padalino final week stated he realized of the shifting schedule at a gathering with Kingston Mayor Steve Noble, architects and undertaking managers, and the district’s Director of Bodily Schooling, Well being and Athletics Richard Silverstein.
“Resulting from a number of issues occurring with development, and that tends to occur, they have been capable of push again the beginning (of renovations) to after our commencement,” stated Padalino in a phone interview on Friday, Might 12.
The superintendent added that development outfits had a pre-bid walkthrough final week, however that work being carried out on a state contract the place bids aren’t required may start as quickly because the commencement ceremony is over.
After casting a internet throughout the Hudson Valley, the KCSD deliberate the commencement ceremony for Albert C. Gruner Memorial Subject on Friday, June 23. Gruner Subject, as its extra generally recognized, is positioned in Lake Katrine, simply south of the district’s M. Clifford Miller Center Faculty.
Different frontrunners included native occasions house Hutton Brickyards, which was already booked commencement weekend; and the athletic area at Rondout Valley Excessive Faculty, a bit over 15 miles southwest from the KHS campus.
“(The Rondout Valley Central Faculty District) have been unbelievably beneficiant and useful,” Padalino stated earlier this 12 months. “They’ve a unbelievable facility down there, it’s model new, it’s attractive.”
However after a handful of website visits, KCSD officers met with pupil representatives and Class of 2023 advisors and Rondout was placed on the again burner for 2 main causes. The primary was that the KHS commencement ceremony is historically held on a Friday, and Rondout Excessive’s graduation was already booked for that evening. And the opposite was that regardless of how good Rondout’s services have been, there was one thing they might by no means present: They aren’t in Kingston.
After deciding on Gruner Subject, the district grappled with determining how one can accommodate sufficient house for household and associates of a graduating class of over 450 college students, notably as KHS graduation ceremonies steadily pack a number of thousand individuals into Dietz.
As an alternative, the Class of 2023 will obtain their diplomas at Dietz Stadium, which even earlier than renovations are full, can deal with a giant crowd.
“I want we had recognized that in February when earlier than we went so loopy with the whole lot we did,” Padalino stated. However he added that they’re already trying into how the Class of 2024 commencement ceremony will look, as renovation plans at Dietz imply it is going to be unavailable subsequent June. The superintendent stated they’re planning to fulfill with pupil representatives of subsequent 12 months’s graduating class as quickly as attainable.
“Who is aware of, perhaps subsequent 12 months the senior class would like to go to a different stadium shut by fairly than Gruner Subject,” Padalino stated. “And there have been some venues right here in our space that have been booked (for the Class of 2023 ceremony) as a result of we didn’t look into them quickly sufficient, so we’re going to start out trying into these now…We’re going to virtually begin from scratch, get the youngsters collectively early and let’s weigh our choices and get it completed.”
Padalino added that having Dietz accessible for spring sports activities has been nice for the district’s student-athletes, notably those that have been capable of play Senior Night time video games on the stadium. And just like the commencement plans for subsequent 12 months, the superintendent stated the district may even start nailing down venues for spring sports activities ordinarily performed at Dietz instantly.
The publish Resulting from development delays, Kingston Excessive Faculty commencement again at Dietz Stadium first appeared on Hudson Valley One.
