Fyffe High School’s Class of 2020 is petitioning Dr. Jason Barnett as well as the DeKalb County Board of Education to allow us to hold our graduation ceremony at Long-Ridgeway stadium. 

On May 5, 2020, Dr. Jason Barnett released a statement announcing that all DeKalb County schools would graduate at the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum. 

Traditionally, Fyffe graduation takes place at Long-Ridgeway Stadium, a field where all seniors have unforgettable memories. From football games to pep rallies, to running bleachers in elementary school, and so much more, we all cherish the field. The football players, band members, cheerleaders, and avid pep club members have essentially grown up in the stadium.

We have all dreamed of the day when we would walk across the field, receiving our hard-earned diploma. Many of us have generations of family members that have made the same walk in the same field, and we, too, want to walk the same steps in the same stadium as those before us. We have looked forward to throwing our caps at the commencement of the ceremony, as well as moving our tassels as a symbol of our great accomplishment.

 For the past 13 years, we have never questioned where our graduation would occur. We understand that no one expected COVID-19, but our senior year has been far from what we expected. We would love for our final moments as a student at Fyffe High School to be on the school campus. 

The majority of our classmates do not consider the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum to be a neutral area; to us, it is Plainview. High School rivalry is huge in DeKalb County, and the last place we would want to graduate at is Plainview. Additionally, Plainview is at an unfair advantage because Plainview graduates are walking in the Coliseum they have always planned to walk in. The Coliseum is a special place to Plainview, but not so much to us. 

Additionally, graduating at Long-Ridgeway stadium instead of the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum seems more sensible because the stadium is not enclosed and allows for fresh air to flow through. 

We understand the four-person limit and the requirement to wear a mask. Still, we urge you to consider moving graduation to Long-Ridgeway Stadium. 

Please electronically sign our petition to help us have our graduation at Long-Ridgeway Stadium.