Whitehall-Coplay School Board discussed logistics and planning for the 2027 Whitehall High School commencement ceremony during the Sept. 14 meeting. School officials are working through parking, transportation, accessibility and crowd-control concerns for the event, set to be held June 2, 2027, at Zephyr Stadium on the Whitehall-Coplay School District campus.

The district’s commencement steering committee provided an update to the school board, outlining plans for the ceremony and the challenges of holding graduation on the district campus.

Students are being asked to submit initial ticket and parking requests by Oct. 2. Those requests will help the district determine how much parking, shuttle service and other resources will be needed.

Officials also are planning for the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1977, as well as parking needs for faculty, staff, students and support personnel.

Americans With Disability Act-accessibility is another part of the planning process. Officials said requests from students regarding accessibility needs will be used to determine parking and seating arrangements.

The district is also working to provide restroom facilities on the south end of the stadium, where the Class of 1977 tent is expected to be located. Officials are reviewing proposals for sound support and expect to bring a recommendation to the board within the next month or two.

A major point of discussion centered on parking and how families will get to and from the ceremony.

“I have a question regarding the shuttling,” board member LoriAnn Fehnel said. “People who are not shuttling are going to be walking the grounds with no sidewalks.”

District officials said plans are still being developed and could include roping off certain areas and creating designated lanes of traffic to help pedestrians safely move around the campus.

The board also discussed a proposed limit of two cars per graduate.

Fehnel raised concerns the limit could create difficulties for families with multiple guests, particularly those who cannot carpool or afford alternative transportation.

“I would hate to see a family get separated to some satellite,” Fehnel added.

WHS Principal Dr. Peter Mayes said the district is trying to balance the number of guests with available parking and safety resources.

The district has used PPL Center in Allentown for graduation in recent years, and officials said students averaged approximately 9.5 tickets per graduate during the past two years.

“We wanted to make sure everybody would hit within the average,” Mayes said.

In previous years, students were given at least 12 tickets and could request additional. The district said electronic ticketing provided an accurate count of how many tickets were actually used.

Officials said the current campus-based plan is still developing and could change as more information becomes available.

“We have plenty of months, thankfully, to plan this,” board Vice President George Makhoul said.

The district also said there will be contingency planning as ticket, parking and accessibility requests come in. Some students have requested fewer tickets and parking passes, which could allow the district to reallocate available spaces to families with greater needs.

Officials emphasized the goal is to use the limited resources available while ensuring families are treated fairly.

The district plans to continue working on parking routes, shuttle locations, pedestrian safety and accessibility in the coming months. The commencement committee meets monthly as preparations continue for the 2027 ceremony.