A Centralia High Senior has requested the school board lift the restriction on not allowing decorated graduation caps.
TyJhawn Matthews has surveyed seniors and found assistance from teachers to change the policy and hopefully create a decorating party in the afternoon of half-day attendance.
“We have 2 or 3 hours to decorate our caps. We can all stay here collectively and decorate our caps. I have many clubs that said they would donate materials for us if we were able to go ahead and proceed with doing this.”
Matthews says staff could supervise the process to avoid anything the school district would find inappropriate. He added the caps could be collected after decoration and passed out again on graduation day to prevent any changes from being made. Matthews added there could still be disciplinary action if there were changes.
Matthews in his research even had a Google form for seniors to fill out if they would need a ride home after the decorating event and found parents and teachers to take home the 25 students who don’t drive to school.
Superintendent Dr. Chuck Lane thanked Matthews for his presentation, noting he encouraged him to address the school board on a policy change he if he felt compassionate about it.
School Board President Galen Mahle noted this is the first time in the four years he’s been on the school board a student has brought an issue forward. He said the school board would consider the request and make a decision in the future.
