Booker High Limits Tickets For Graduation For 1st Time

SARASOTA, FL – For the first time in its history, Booker High School will limit tickets available to the public for its commencement ceremony.

The tickets are free for the event scheduled at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 3 at Robarts Arena on the Sarasota County Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd. in Sarasota. Entrance into the arena is by ticket only. Officials suggest attendees should arrive before 9 a.m.

Tickets are general admission and seating is first come, first served.

Sarasota County Schools attributed the limited availability of graduation tickets to a growing interest in the school. Principal Rachel Shelley said the newfound attention is caused by increased enrollment and graduation rates.

Shelley also said the school has been moving in a positive direction with its new Cambridge University AICE program; its revived Law Academy; and popular Career Technical Education and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs.

“In addition to parents, siblings and other relatives of our graduating seniors, there’s a lot of general community interest in the ceremony because of all the exciting opportunities we have to offer,” she said. “The word is getting out and we are attracting a lot of students.”

Booker will graduate 310 seniors, the highest number in recent memory, Shelley said. The number includes several juniors who are graduating early, thanks to advanced coursework available through the State College of Florida and flexible options to get ahead, such as the Sarasota Virtual Academy, which allows students to earn extra credits each year.

In the past, Booker’s graduation has not been ticketed. Aside from friends and families attending in large numbers, the graduation has had a history of attendance by other people from the surrounding Newton community.

“It’s not uncommon to have people show up, even if they don’t know anyone who is graduating,” Shelley said.

Assistant Principal Darby Larkin, who oversees the commencement procedures, said the support Booker receives is remarkable, and the interest in tickets is a sign of strong community support – even though the limits this year may be inconvenient.

“It’s a nice ‘problem’ to have,” he said.

Robarts Arena holds about 4,500 people and 4,200 tickets will be distributed. Graduating students will receive 10 tickets each. Students needing extra tickets will be able to request them through Larkin’s office.

Community members are eligible to receive two tickets each, free of charge. They can pick them up at the Booker High administration building starting Monday, May 22.

Other graduation ceremonies scheduled for Sarasota County traditional public high schools are:

• North Port High School: Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Robarts Arena
• Suncoast Polytechnical High School: Friday, June 2 at 6 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave, Sarasota
• Sarasota High School: Friday, June 2 at 8 p.m. at Charlie Cleland Stadium at Ihrig Field, 1960 Landings Blvd.
• Venice High School: Friday, June 2 at 8 p.m. at Powell-Davis Stadium, 1 Indian Ave., Venice
• Riverview High School: Saturday, June 3 at 3 p.m. at Robarts Arena
• Pine View School: Sunday, June 4 at 2 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

For more information on the Sarasota County Schools high school graduations, contact the schools directly.

Image courtesy of Sarasota County Schools