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MENTONE - Tippecanoe Valley school board members and TVHS principal Charlie Mills are concerned about student behavior during the high school graduation ceremony.
"It's an issue that has upset me considerably," Mills said, ever since he's been with the school - approximately 10 years.
In the past, Mills said, inappropriate student behavior during the ceremony included blowing party whistles, and last year a student handed a parent a sack full of party gadgets to pass out.
"The parents are supporting the problem," Mills said. "That is the problem."
Mills addressed school board members Monday concerning the behavior problem and asked board members to help him brainstorm on ideas to fix the problem. He said he wants to know the attitude of the board and hopes for their support in whatever action is taken.
Board member Tom Weaver said the students misbehaving at the graduation ceremony would be no different from someone interrupting the school board meeting. "There's a certain time to have fun," he said, and disrupting a meeting or graduation ceremony is not one of them.
"If we lay down the law, we need to let parents know before what it is," board member Hal Hoffman said.
In December's meeting, board members briefly discussed concerns regarding students' behavior at graduation. The possibility of having a couple police officers present at the ceremony and announcing at the beginning that students found not "behaving" will be removed from graduation was discussed.
Together, Mills and board members brainstormed Monday on solutions to students misbehaving during the ceremony. Ideas tossed around included: a police officer removing disruptive students, faculty members of the school corporation wearing their college robes and standing either through the middle of the student body or around the perimeter, and sending letters to parents regarding the ceremony and what will be expected of their children.
"Most of the problems that I have seen are supported by the parents," Mills said. Dealing with the students is actually better than dealing with the parents, he said. But a letter to parents outlining the problems and actions that will be taken may make the situation better, he said.
"Graduation this next spring could be very embarrassing to students, patrons, you, me ... ," Mills said. "I do not enjoy graduation, unfortunately."
"Some can ruin it for all," board president Rod Eaton said. "Some can also keep others under control."
"We're trying to make this ceremony better," Weaver said. "We're not doing this to punish you (students)."
Board members expressed their concern for the problem and asked Mills to meet with the high school faculty, produce more ideas and report back to the board next month.
