Beaufort County School District announces last days, graduation dates for next year
Next school year, all Beaufort County graduation ceremonies will take place before or on teachers’ last day, and three ceremonies will be after the students’ last day.
The dates are earlier than this year’s, where for the first time some graduation ceremonies are scheduled after the teachers’ last day, and the last ceremony is a full week after school ends for students.
During the April 4 board meeting, 10 board members voted to approve the dates and one voted against the motion.
For the 2023-24 school year, students’ last day is a half-day June 5 and teachers’ last day is June 7. It puts Battery Creek High School, Hilton Head High School, Whale Branch Early College High School and the make-up graduation dates after students’ last day.
Graduation dates set
The graduation dates for next school year are:
May River High School — June 3, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Beaufort High School — June 4, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Bluffton High School — June 5, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Battery Creek High School — June 6, 2024 at 10 a.m.
Hilton Head Island High School — June 6, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Whale Branch Early College High School — June 7, 2024 at 10 a.m.
Make-up — June 7, 2024 at 7 p.m.
School Board member Ingrid Boatright said she was concerned over Hilton Head High School’s graduation date being after students’ last day both this year and last year and on teachers’ last day. She said she is worried it will impact teacher attendance at graduation and take away from the ceremony.
“I hope that all the faculty returns and it’s great and no one notices,” Boatright said. “I guarantee I’m going to hear from people that two years in a row Hilton Head (High School’s) graduation is poorly attended because it’s at the end and school’s out.”
