St. Charles North, East high school graduation ceremonies to have increased capacity

St. Charles North and East high school graduates will be able to invite more guests to their graduation ceremonies this month at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

As District 303 Superintendent Jason Pearson told School Board members at their meeting Monday, NIU and the DeKalb County Health Department have increased the district’s capacity for the graduation ceremonies.

The district will now be able to have 60% capacity in the stadium for the graduation ceremonies. As a result, each graduate will receive 10 tickets.

“With that capacity, that really exceeds the number we’ve typically had for any graduation ceremony in the past, so hopefully everybody who wants to attend will be accommodated,” Pearson said. “Friends and neighbors can share additional extra tickets if they have them with other people who may be looking for them.”

St. Charles North High School will have its graduation ceremony at 4 p.m. on May 24, followed by St. Charles East High School’s ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, graduating seniors from St. Charles North and St. Charles East high schools were set to receive their diplomas on May 21 as part of a ceremony at the NIU Convocation Center. Those plans had to be scratched because of the pandemic.

Last year, District 303 parents voiced their displeasure with a decision by the district to commemorate graduation with a video instead of moving forward with a graduation celebration. At the time, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health were only allowing drive-in and drive-thru graduation ceremonies.