By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board remotely held a regular meeting on May 12, with the board and staff members communicating online.
The meeting included the reading of more than 60 comments from residents who submitted their remarks online. Board president Kara Caforio joined board members Courtenae Trautmann and Beth Hosler in reading the comments. Nearly all were in regards to the district’s plans for York High School’s commencement ceremony, which was originally supposed to take place Sunday, May 17. That ceremony was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of York’s Class of 2020 and their parents submitted most of the comments read aloud during the May 12 meeting. The comments were critical of the district’s updated plans to recognize York students on May 17. Those plans included encouraging Elmhurst residents to celebrate a community cheer on that date. According to a release issued by the district on May 11, “D205 is inviting the entire community to join us on their lawns, clanging pots and pans, blowing air horns, sounding sirens, ringing church bells for a ‘Community Cheer’ raising a celebration of the Class of 2020,” between 1:10 and 1:15 p.m. The district also announced plans to turn the lights on at York’s stadium on the afternoon of May 17, and leave them on until 8:20 p.m., or 20:20 in military time.
One York student who submitted a comment for the May 12 meeting stated that the administration and school had failed the school’s Class of 2020. The student, along with several of the parents who submitted comments, asked why this year’s graduates wouldn’t receive their caps and gowns until a couple of days after the May 17 ceremony. Many parents stated that students should receive their caps and gowns before the ceremony, so they could wear them for photos on May 17—the originally scheduled graduation date.
Clanging pots and pans deemed ‘inadequate’
Other commenters criticized the lack of any virtual ceremony planned for May 17. Parents who submitted comments also noted that the COVID-19 shutdown had been in place for nearly two months, and that the school and district should have made better plans to honor York’s Class of 2020. Commenters also criticized the plans to “clang pots and pans” as an inadequate way to celebrate this year’s graduates.
Parents also stated that the post-COVID-19 plans for York’s Class of 2020 did not compare favorably with those of other area schools. In addition to York, schools with an original graduation date of May 17 include District 88’s two schools—Willowbrook High School in Villa Park and Addison Trail High School. Those two schools both planned virtual ceremonies on May 17. Students from each District 88 school were able to drive through the school parking lot to pick up their caps, gowns and diplomas on May 15 and May 16.
Some of the parents and students who submitted comments for the May 12 meeting also urged the district to try to hold York’s 2020 prom later this summer. York’s prom was originally scheduled for April 25 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, but was canceled because of the pandemic. At the April 28 board meeting, District 205 Superintendent David Moyer recommended canceling this year’s prom.
Comments from parents and students also urged board members to think of creative ways to recognize York’s Class of 2020. Some of the parents who made comments said they would be willing to contribute to an effort to honor this year’s graduates.
At the board meeting held April 28, Moyer said that a lead time of 34 days was required to produce a virtual graduation. One of the York parents who submitted the comment for the May 12 meeting stated that other area schools had already arranged virtual commencement events. The parent noted that York can stream athletic events online and asked why the names of this year’s graduates couldn’t be read online.
Commenters also urged the district to do everything it could to hold an in-person ceremony later this summer. After the reading of the public comments during the May 12 meeting, Moyer and the board discussed plans to honor York’s Class of 2020. The district will plan to hold a virtual graduation ceremony on June 21. The school will plan a potential in-person ceremony in July.
Moyer said he thought it was unlikely that it would be possible to hold an in-person commencement ceremony this summer. He said the DuPage County Health Department is currently adamant in advising schools to avoid holding any type of in-person ceremony, including drive-through events. Moyer added that the district’s attorneys stated it would be very ill advised for the district to act against the recommendation of the county’s health department.
Board member Jim Collins proposed forming a committee of parents, students and administrators to develop plans to honor York’s Class of 2020 this summer. Collins also proposed having the names of this year’s graduates read on the loudspeaker at the stadium on May 17.
Video tribute to students held on Sunday, May 17
On Friday, May 15, Moyer issued a message to the District 205 community that stated that there would be a special video tribute to York’s Class of 2020 that will be made available on York’s website at 1:15 p.m. on May 17. The video featured the reading of each student in the class.
At the April 28 meeting, the board had directed its staff to conduct a survey of York parents and students about plans to recognize the school’s Class of 2020, which included more than 700 students. According to the district, there were 810 unique responses to the survey, which was open from April 29 through May 4.
“We are parents, and, as board members, graduation and the end of the year is one of the most fantastic times for all of us,” said Caforio during the May 12 meeting. “And we are missing celebrating that with you. And to not be able to do things in the traditional sense is heartbreaking for all of us, especially because we know how much it’s hurting our seniors.”
Caforio added that the board and the district have been discussing how to properly honor York’s Class of 2020.
“What you don’t see is the constant conversations and questions and things that we’re considering and trying to think out,” she said. “The other side is we have the responsibility to keep people safe and healthy, and we also have to abide by the laws and the guidelines that are being given to us that change sometimes on a daily basis.”
Caforio concluded her comments by stating that the board was committed to honoring York’s senior class.
“I want you to know that this is not easy for any of us, and we understand there’s a lot of hearts that are grieving a senior year that is not turning out in any way how you planned,” Caforio said. “Every board member here wants to make sure that each senior is celebrated, and in the next few weeks, it is our hope that what gets planned will do so.”
Parents criticize Moyer’s letters to students
Some of the parents who submitted comments for the May 12 meeting referred to letters that Moyer recently sent to two groups of York seniors. Parents criticized the letters as inappropriate and unprofessional. One of Moyer’s letters was directed to seniors who were members of spring athletic programs. The other letter was directed to seniors who were in the cast and crew in the school’s planned production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” York was supposed to present the rock opera during April, but that production, like all school events since the middle of March, has been canceled.
In his letter to senior athletes, Moyer recounted his own experience as a baseball player and coach. He mentioned that he came down with mononucleosis (mono) during his junior year of high school, which “pretty much wiped out” his junior baseball season.
In his letter to seniors involved in the production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Moyer referred to his own background in music while he was a high school student. He also mentioned the musical and theatrical accomplishments of some of his family members, including two sons, his brother, his sister and his grandfather. Moyer also identified himself as a “music freak” and stated he believed he’d seen Bob Dylan perform live 48 times. In his letter to the cast and crew, Moyer also referenced his experience of coming down with mono during his junior year of high school.
“I would like to share two things with you,” stated Moyer at the conclusion of each letter. “The first is that YOU ARE GOING TO BE OK. And, I promise you that we are going to do everything we can to properly celebrate and commemorate the Class of 2020. The second is that I love you.”
Reading what sounded like a prepared statement, Moyer spoke about the two letters during the May 12 meeting. He spoke shortly after the reading of all of the public comments submitted for the meeting.
“Since Governor Pritzker shut down the schools for the year, I’ve been struggling with how to reach out to our seniors,” he said. “I made notes. I drafted ideas, and truthfully, it has been hard to think of anything I could say that would not sound trite and insensitive. Recently, you received a communication from me in which I tried to do two things—provide some empathy for our senior members of the cast and crew of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ and our senior athletes, by letting them know that I understand how they are feeling, and letting them know that they are loved. I felt that those were the two things that they needed to know, and that I wanted to say.”
Moyer apologizes to those offended
Continuing his remarks, Moyer apologized to those who were offended by his letters.
“I would like to apologize to those of you who were offended by my approach,” Moyer said. “I attempted to personalize the communication and humanize the challenges that we are all experiencing. As seniors across the state are coming to grips with the reality that many of the things they were looking forward to for so many years are not going to transpire, I wanted them to know that I care deeply about them. If you disagreed with my approach, I hope you at least understand my intent.”
The board will hold its next regular meeting on May 26.
