ROCHELLE — Could this year’s graduation ceremony be the last for eighth-graders in the Rochelle elementary school district?
While there are no imminent plans to eliminate any future ceremonies, District 231 Board of Education members and Superintendent Jason Harper discussed potential alternatives to the traditional end-of-the-year ceremony at the district’s monthly board meeting Tuesday evening. Harper said that other options include hosting a promotion assembly to allow both staff and students to reflect on their experiences at Rochelle Middle School.
“It isn’t necessarily about cancelling graduation,” Harper said. “It’s more about investigating other options for celebrating the eighth-grade class… A lot of that has to do with eighth grade no longer being considered a terminal spot in the student’s education. It’s become more of an assumption and a reality for our students to progress onto ninth grade and beyond.”

Other options
Harper said the district will take time and reflect on possible alternatives before making any decisions about future end-of-the-year ceremonies or events.
“We understand that it’s been a tradition in Rochelle, that it’s a well-attended event and that our parents and families like to come out and celebrate the next progression with our students,” Harper said. “But it’s an opportune time for us to look into it and decide what’s right for the students in our district.”
The district board also announced Tuesday that the 2018-19 eighth-grade graduation ceremony will be pushed back one week to Friday, May 31. The ceremony will still be held at Rochelle Township High School. Additionally, the board revealed that the school calendar has been pushed back as well.
June 3 will now be the last day of school for students, and June 4 will be the last day for staff. Harper said emergency school cancellations due to rough winter weather this year led to the calendar changes.
The board approved the purchase of one school bus for $65,000 on Tuesday, and the district will also lease eight busses for a combined cost of $170,000.