Graduation Venue & Seating
This year’s graduation ceremonies will, for the second year in a row, take place at:
Idaho Central Arena - 233 S. Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702
Tickets will not be required. Families will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The arena capacity is 4,758 seats.
Families are encouraged to prioritize inviting immediate family members to help manage capacity.
Suites for larger families will again be available through a lottery system. Details on how to enter will be shared in the coming weeks.
Ceremonies will also be livestreamed for family and friends unable to attend in person.
Why Idaho Central Arena?
Prior to the Class of 2025, commencement ceremonies were held at ExtraMile Arena. However, last year we moved the events to Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise. This decision was based on multiple factors, including a scheduling conflict with the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA), which holds its state championships the weekend immediately following our seniors’ last day of school. While we did reach out to IHSAA to request a calendar adjustment, they were unable to accommodate.
In previous years, graduation ceremonies were held on two consecutive Saturdays after the last day of school for seniors. Families consistently shared that waiting nearly two weeks felt too long and created conflicts—particularly for students involved in exchange programs or staff members who are off-contract during that time. To address these concerns, we shifted ceremonies last year to weekdays and selected a venue that allowed for earlier, confirmed scheduling.
We also want to acknowledge comparisons to the Ford Idaho Center. Unfortunately, that venue is no longer a viable option for our district due to limitations in liability coverage and insurance requirements. High school football stadiums were also considered; however, with an average capacity of about 3,500, they would still reduce attendance, create accessibility challenges, and introduce risks due to unpredictable weather.
Why the Change in Tickets?
Last year, each student was allocated 7 tickets. Families were asked to return unused tickets, but very few were turned in. As a result, actual attendance numbers were much lower than the number of tickets distributed:
Alternative Schools: 2,362 used of 4,425 available
Centennial: 2,665 used of 4,425 available
Eagle: 2,877 used of 4,425 available
Meridian: 3,104 used of 4,425 available
Mountain View: 3,802 used of 4,450 available
Owyhee: 3,483 used of 4,450 available
Renaissance: 945 used of 4,425 available
Rocky Mountain: 3,127 used of 4,425 available
Based on these numbers, ticket allocations will not be used moving forward. This new first-come, first-served model allows greater flexibility for families and avoids unnecessary limitations.
Note: IFAA will continue to hold its graduation ceremony at a West Ada Performing Arts Center.
Class of 2026 Graduation Schedule
Monday, May 18
4:00 PM – Mountain View High School
7:30 PM – Renaissance High School
Tuesday, May 19
4:00 PM – Rocky Mountain High School
7:30 PM – Eagle High School
Wednesday, May 20
4:00 PM – Owyhee High School
7:30 PM – Centennial High School
Thursday, May 21
2:00 PM – Rehearsal (Alternative Schools only)
4:00 PM – Alternative Schools Ceremony (Eagle Academy, Meridian Academy, Rebound, and Virtual School House)
7:30 PM – Meridian High School
Friday, May 22
4:30 PM – Idaho Fine Arts Academy
Check out the lastest episode of the West Ada Podcast here: https://youtu.be/5gkIagGzknU
Rising Star Awards are presented to advisers who are in their first five years of advising and have had success advising at least one media program.
The 2025 Rising Stars are:
Taylor Bowers, CJE, Bentonville West High School, Centerton, Arkansas
Stacy Dawson, CJE, Saint Francis High School, Mountain View, California
Nicole Goodman, CJE, Waterloo (Iowa) West High School
Darcy Hassing, CJE, Lakeview High School, Battle Creek, Michigan
Christopher Heady, Shawnee (Kansas) Mission Northwest High School
Jodi Hwang, CJE, Los Altos (California) High School
Yary Lira, McKinney (Texas) High School
Jeanette Lockwood, Desert Ridge Junior High School and Desert Ridge High School, Mesa, Arizona
Marie McCulloch, Rocky Mountain High School, Meridian, Idaho
Ethan Pender, CJE, Darlington School, Rome, Georgia
Jamie Reynolds, Melbourne (Florida) High School
Katheryn White, Gulfport (Mississippi) High School
Marie McCulloch
Marie McCulloch advises the yearbook at Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho.
Walsworth Yearbooks representative Jake Lee said McCulloch is the “is the most talented adviser I have worked with in all my 26 years in the yearbook industry.”
“While I could write pages about her journalism skills, leadership abilities and the many talents that have produced amazing, award-winning yearbooks, it is Marie’s character I appreciate most,” Lee said. “While teaching her students design, photography, writing and many other skills, she simultaneously develops student leaders that are character driven and ambitious for greatness.”
Mackenna Gleave was a senior when McCulloch became the yearbook adviser. Although she was nervous at first about having a new adviser, she quickly came to appreciate the energy McCulloch brought to the position. Gleave has kept in touch with McCulloch as she pursues a degree in journalism at the University of Montana, where she is a reporter and design editor of the Montana Kaimin and editor-in-chief of Byline Magazine.
“I can genuinely say, I would not be in the spot I am today without the inspiration or push McCulloch gave me,” Gleave said. “The honesty, hard work and high expectations she always has for her students truly set me up for success in college. She wants nothing more than for you to succeed, keep getting better and be proud of the product you took the time to make.”
