Coral Springs High Class of 2026 gets new graduation venue. Here are the details
After a wave of complaints from parents and students, Broward County Public Schools has moved Coral Springs High School’s Class of 2026 graduation ceremony to Nova Southeastern University, abandoning plans to hold it inside a high school gym.
The reversal, announced Wednesday, Jan. 28, ends weeks of controversy over a cost-cutting proposal that would have forced 32 schools, including Coral Springs High, to hold ceremonies at the Dillard High School gymnasium in Fort Lauderdale, instead of a theater or university.
Parents argued a gym was inappropriate for a milestone event and pressed the school district and School Board to provide a larger, more traditional venue. They got their wish with the announcedment of the reversal.
The dispute began when the district released its graduation schedule for the Class of 2026. Under the original plan, Coral Springs High and 31 other schools were assigned to graduate at Dillard High’s gym, while a smaller number of schools were scheduled for venues such as Hard Rock Live and Nova Southeastern. Among them were J.P. Taravella High and Coral Glades High, both in Coral Springs.
District officials said the plan was designed to save about $500,000 by using district-owned facilities.
Parents crowded last week’s school board meeting to demand a change. Although graduation venues were not on the agenda, Superintendent Howard Hepburn addressed the parents’ concerns and pledged to review the assignments.
Some parents also alleged inequities in the original plan, arguing that larger schools with less-diverse student populations were given premier venues.
They pointed to Cypress Bay High School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the district’s largest schools, which were scheduled to graduate at Hard Rock Live.
Nine schools were assigned to Nova Southeastern, while the remaining 32 schools, including Coral Springs, were assigned to Dillard’s gym.
Hepburn told parents that class size was the sole factor used to determine graduation venues.
Under the revised schedule, Coral Springs High’s Class of 2026 will graduate at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, at Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale.
Each graduate is guaranteed at least four tickets, with additional tickets available depending on venue capacity.
District officials said the updated schedule reflects community feedback and is intended to ensure a meaningful and memorable commencement experience for all graduates.
