Schools
LHS Baccalaureate Ceremony Moved to Concord
The Palace Theater in Manchester, where it has been held in the past, was unable to accomodate this year's senior class.
The high school's baccalaureate ceremony will be held at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord for the first time this year after the previous venue said it was unable to host it.
Londonderry High School student representatives announced the change at Tuesday's School Board meeting. The ceremony will be held on June 13 at 7 p.m., with a secondary reservation on June 12.
The baccalaureate ceremony honors Londonderry's academic top 10, New Hampshire scholars and students who are entering military service. Students said more than $200,000 in local scholarships will be awarded at the event.
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The Palace Theater in Manchester has hosted the ceremony for many years, but the students said the theater was unable to accommodate the evening event because of already scheduled events on the dates requested.
Students also considered the Stockbridge Theater at Pinkerton Academy and the Dana Center at St. Anselm College, but found the Capitol Center for the Arts to be the best option for the size and price.
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The Capitol Center for the Arts has 1,300 seats and will provide the venue and associated staffing for $2,800, which is $200 less than the Palace Theater fee, Londonderry High School Principal Jason Parent said.
Students said a bus will be provided to take senior students to the event.
But School Board member John Robinson objected to the more than 30-minute drive from Londonderry to Concord, asking instead that the ceremony be held on high school property.
"I think we should look at the gym or the football field rather than continuing to move farther out and spend more money on more and more elaborate things in an era when we're looking at every penny we do spend," he said.
Parent said he stood by the students' decision.
"I think (the Capitol Center) is a viable option for us and I think we should explore it," he said. "To tell the senior class that their baccalaureate should be held in the gym because the Palace couldn't host us on a particular week is inappropriate."
The issue was brought before the board as an informational item only and no vote was required on the matter.
