ORLANDO, Fla. – This year the senior class at Jones High School will have their graduation at an arena at the University of Central Florida, instead of the Kia Center where the ceremony has been held in past years. And some parents are not pleased about the venue that was chosen this year because of its smaller size and how much farther away it is.
The Kia Center is about a mile and a half away from the high school, or a 5-minute drive. The Addition Financial Arena, where graduation will be held on May 30, is about 17 miles away and a 30-minute drive.
A spokesperson for Orange County Public Schools said their decision was made based on the availability of the venue and the size of the graduating class, not the distance. They prioritized which schools would have ceremonies at the larger Kia Center so that graduates and their families could bring as many guests as possible.
When parents and alumni started voicing their concerns online and to school board members, our News 6 team reached out to understand why.
“Jones is unique because Jones doesn’t really have a lot of buses,” said Terri Mason, whose daughter graduated from Jones High School last year. “They rely on the students to walk to school, and it’s also in an area that is less accessible to public transportation.”
Terri Mason said she has a long lineage of family members who are connected to Jones High School. She graduated in 2003, and her cousin is part of this year’s graduating class.
“If you are going to take an Uber it costs $5 if you are going to the Kia Center versus if you’re coming to the Addition arena it’s $25 each way in an Uber,” said Mason.
Our News 6 team drove the fastest route, which takes you on State Road 408 and State Road 417. Both highways are toll roads. We also looked at estimates for a trip on a public bus, and depending on when you leave it could take up to two hours to get across town to UCF.
“There have always been children who have had to walk. There’s always been children whose family members have had to walk with them to graduation,” said Mason. “It just makes it more difficult for them to get there.”
Mason started a petition after seeing other parents and alumni share their concerns about this year’s venue on social media. She said it’s possible some families won’t be able to attend because of the distance, and because each graduate will have a limited number of tickets this year because the ceremony will be in a smaller arena.
“Some kids do not have the support. So, Jones' graduation is not just for the parents, it’s also for this community,” said Mason. “It’s boosters. It’s for the activists and the mentors who have helped get these kids through school. So, there are children who won’t have any support there at all just because the location has changed.”
Mason said it is disappointing to think that some students may not experience that tradition on what could be one of the most important days of their lives.
“For them to look up and not see the people who were in their corner,” said Mason. “This could be devastating. Everybody wants to hear cheers when their names are called, and that’s something that we have always been rich in culture to be able to support our kids.”
Orange County Public Schools did provide News 6 with a list of schools that would be graduating at the Kia Center this year so we could compare the size of their student body with Jones High School. A spokesperson said the district was only given 3 dates to schedule ceremonies in the morning, afternoon, and evening at the Kia Center because of other event scheduling at the arena this year.
Below are the dates and total enrollment (not just the senior class) for the schools that will graduate at the larger venue:
- Thursday, May 22 - Dr. Phillips, 2,908
- Thursday, May 22 - Lake Nona High School, 2,959
- Thursday, May 22 - Orlando Technical College, district-wide program & the largest graduation ceremony
- Wednesday, May 28 - Windermere High School, 3,209
- Wednesday, May 28 - Apopka, 3,385
- Wednesday, May 28 - Timber Creek, 3,339
- Friday, May 30 - Winter Park, 3,224
- Friday, May 30 - Colonial, 3,183
- Friday, May 30 - Cypress Creek, 3,113
For comparison, the most recent data from Orange County Public Schools shows that Jones High School has a total of 1,635 students enrolled. The district said they have about 300 students in this year’s graduating class, compared to schools like Cypress Creek that have over 800 seniors.
Since families who spoke to News 6 said transportation is the biggest hurdle for those who live in the 32805 zip code, we asked the district if there are any other accommodations that could be made to help people make that 17-mile trip.
A spokesperson said they will not be offering transportation to the graduation ceremony because they do not offer that same service to any other school.
Jones High School is using money from the graduation budget to bus students to UCF and cover parking for those families attending the ceremony.