Grand Forks high school graduation ceremonies moving to Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in June
Dec. 21—GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks Public Schools will move commencement ceremonies for its two high schools from the Alerus Center to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center beginning in June 2023.
The move stems from students' and parents' desire to hold the ceremonies in a more intimate setting, said Catherine Gillach, associate superintendent of secondary education for the district.
"The Alerus Center has served us extremely well, and we're appreciative of the partnership we've had," Gillach said. "One thing we discovered during our COVID ceremonies however, which took place outdoors on the campuses of our high schools, is that families were providing lots of feedback in favor of holding ceremonies at a more intimate location than we were able to provide at the Alerus Center."
With this feedback in hand, district officials began searching for alternatives. Gillach said the Betty, which has a capacity of 3,300 and is home to UND's basketball and volleyball teams, contains the necessary amenities to host commencements.
"We looked at a couple of spaces at UND, knowing that they have experience hosting other commencement ceremonies," said Gillach. "We decided on the Betty after realizing it would provide us with the amenities we needed, such as sufficient capacity for anticipated attendance, along with comfortable and accessible seating."
Gillach also said moving the venue to the Betty will reduce costs to between $8,000-$9,000 for the ceremonies, a savings of around $16,000. These savings are due to reduced labor costs for transporting and setting up equipment at the venue.
"Moving to the Betty spares us of the logistical challenges we faced moving in and out of the Alerus Center," said Gillach. "Previously, we had to haul all of our equipment needed for commencement to and from the venue. At the Betty, most of the equipment is provided, and they have a large staff on site to assist with setup and take down."
Commencement for both high schools is slated for Sunday, June 4.
