Huntley High Moves Graduation to Sears Centre

Huntley High School’s class of 2012 is ushering in a new era. becoming the first class to have its graduation ceremony at the Sears Centre Arena.

The school’s graduation has been held at the Huntley High east gym for decades, but it simply isn’t big enough anymore to hold all the graduates.

This year’s graduation is at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates.

“It’s very exciting,” Miller said. While some people who’ve seen generations of their family graduate from the high school gym may feel nostalgic, the fact is the school is “out of room,” she said.

Huntley High is graduating about 540 seniors this year, said Karen Miller, senior class sponsor. The class of 2012 is the largest today and the school is “out of room,” she said. “We need to make this step.”

“Every year we go up,” Miller said.

Miller took over as senior class sponsor 10 years ago. The graduating class of 2002 was 230 students, she said.

The next few years, the class sizes will continue to double, even triple.

Huntley’s incoming freshmen — the class of 2016 — is projected to have 700 graduates, she said.

The Sears Centre has 8,000 seats, so immediate family, friends, extended family can come, a plus over the tickets required at previous graduations.

Huntley High has a few requests from families, including no bullhorns and holding all clapping until the end of the ceremony so parents can hear their child’s name called.

Do people pay attention to the ground rules?

“No,” Miller said. But, “we really have great parents. I think for the most part, people are pretty respectful. As a parent, I found myself cheering.”

“We hope that people make good choices when they come to attend a special day like this,” she said.

The class of 2012 is preparing for its last week at Huntley High. The last day for seniors is May 25. A series of events will mark the milestone, including a senior awards night, a senior breakfast, graduation practice and the class photo.