Graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone — a celebration of years of hard work, friendship, and growth. But this year, McBride High School’s Class of 2025 is being denied the full experience of a traditional graduation ceremony.

Instead of the longstanding tradition, where students walk in together, are seated as a class, and receive their diplomas on stage after their names are called, the current plan breaks that experience apart entirely.

Under this plan, students will wait behind the stage and be called one by one to enter the graduation area individually. As each student walks in, their name will be announced, and they will receive their diploma immediately, before the ceremony even begins.

Under this plan:

• Students will not sit together as a class.
• They will not watch or cheer for their classmates.
• Each student will walk the stage alone, missing the shared joy of the moment.
• The first student will receive their diploma in front of empty seats.

This format removes some of the most meaningful and symbolic parts of graduation:

• The chance for students to celebrate one another.
• The emotional moment of hearing your name called and walking the stage in front of both friends and family.
• The collective memory of finishing this journey together, not apart.

This is especially hurtful to students who are first-generation graduates, who overcame personal challenges, or who lost a classmate along the way. Graduation should be a unifying celebration, not a fragmented formality.

And these students have been through a lot.

They entered high school during the pandemic, missing out on critical milestones and in-person learning during their formative years. They endured isolation, stress, and academic disruptions. On top of that, they experienced the heartbreaking loss of a classmate—something no young person should have to go through.

Graduation is not just about receiving a piece of paper. It’s a shared moment of closure, pride, and unity. After high school, many students go their separate ways—some move across the country, some begin working, others go off to college. This may be the last time they are all together in one place.

They deserve the full experience.

This decision is reportedly being made to shorten the ceremony, even though there are only 170 students graduating. During a staff meeting, Principal Dr. Stephanie Dunn stated that she would not be changing the format and that the decision is hers alone, regardless of how many people sign the petition or voice concerns.

Parents have also been told that a traditional seated ceremony might be possible, but only if parents step in to help. In one case, Dr. Dunn reportedly responded to a concerned parent by asking, “Well, are you going to help?” That parent offered to miss their own child’s graduation to volunteer and help make a proper ceremony happen.

In addition, families are being charged $20 per guest over the age of 3 to attend the ceremony, despite it being held on the school’s campus, where basic folding chairs typically cost less than $2 to rent. VIP tickets are reportedly being sold for $30. It is unclear where these funds are going or how they’re being used to support the ceremony.

We believe these choices raise serious concerns about fairness, access, and transparency, and they further highlight the need for district leadership to intervene and ensure McBride’s Class of 2025 receives the full, respectful graduation experience they deserve.

That’s why we’re asking the Long Beach Unified School District to step in.

We call on:

• Dr. Jill Baker, Superintendent
• Dr. Tiffany Brown, Deputy Superintendent
• Mr. Edward Samuels, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools
• Ms. Diana Craighead, Board Member, 5th District

to honor McBride’s students and restore a full, seated graduation ceremony—where every senior walks the stage, hears their name called, and shares this moment of pride with their classmates and families.

Let’s give McBride’s Class of 2025 the celebration they’ve earned.
They deserve nothing less.

UPDATED: JUNE 7TH