KILLEEN, Texas — A few soon-to-be Killeen Independent School District graduates spoke up and let their voices be heard.
At a school board meeting on Feb. 25, students expressed disappointment after they found out they might not be able to wear certain graduation cords when they walk across the stage.
Graduation cords are long, thin colored ropes with tassels on each end that are worn around the neck during commencement ceremonies. Students said they work hard academically to be able to wear them.
Kevin Arellano and Cherith Hicks are two students who are at the top of their class. The Shoemaker High School senior athletes are a part of many organizations including the National Honor Society.
They were both disappointed to find out they would not be able to wear a cord and be recognized for being a part of the Spanish Honor Society and Science Honor Society.
“We’ve been paying for our cords. We’ve put in a request for cords. If you knew this information all this time why didn’t you tell us,” Hicks said. “Graduation is everything I’ve done in four years. Those chords are one of the representations that I have if they don’t want to fix that what is the point in walking”
Officials at KISD said they are working on ways to work with students.
Principal Wells has worked with students at Shoemaker to make sure he can accommodate to students who want to wear their stoles and cords.
"We want to make sure they are proud to be KISD graduates,” KISD Spokeswoman Taina Maya said. "We are proud of them but have to work on some of the specifics this year."
Arellano and Hicks said they hope their principal has a change of heart and allows them to be noticed for all their accomplishments.
“I’ve worked hard. I really worked hard. I put in a lot of hours. Some nights I’ve barely had enough sleep for four hours. It’s tough when you try to be an athlete, an officer and a student. It’s hard to manage sometimes,” Arellano said. “If they say no and we don’t get to walk with our cords and that will be disappointing to our family. This isn’t for us. This is for the next generation coming.”
KISD students already have a variety of cords they are allowed to wear including the top 10 percent, Military enlistment, Texas Bioscience Institute Programs, and the Career Center cords.
The district plans to formulate a focus group next school year to determine which cords and regalia students can wear in the entire district.
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