LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Leonardtown High School’s Class of 2025 graduation ceremony has been upended by a last-minute change that reduced guest tickets from four to two, based on a student-only survey conducted over just three hours on Memorial Day. The decision, made without parent input and announced the evening before graduation rehearsal, has sparked widespread frustration from families, many of whom had already made travel arrangements and expected to attend under the previously promised plans.
Until Memorial Day, families were informed that, in the event of rain, Plan B—outlined in newsletters and shared throughout the spring—would involve splitting graduates into four ceremonies based on their last name, with four tickets per graduate to accommodate guests. However, at 4:36 p.m. on May 26, Principal James Copsey emailed students a survey asking whether they preferred a different option: holding a single indoor ceremony in the gymnasium. By 6:58 p.m., he emailed again confirming that plan had been adopted. Two tickets would be for the gym and one ticket would be for the auditorium (where the ceremony would be streamed).
Parents say they were not consulted, were not sent the survey, and were blindsided by the decision, made late on a federal holiday with less than 48 hours until the ceremony. Many had already made travel plans, taken time off work, and expected four tickets as previously communicated. Several families noted that they were celebrating the holiday when their children received the survey.
A message sent earlier that day by Principal James Copsey at 4:36 p.m., in which he acknowledged the forecasted rain and floated the idea of moving to a single indoor ceremony:
“While it’s not yet official, it looks like we will be graduating indoors due to the forecasted rain… Many students have expressed that if we graduate indoors, they would like to graduate together in one ceremony,” Copsey wrote.
“Obviously, this is a challenge with 550 graduates. However, I met with Superintendent Smith today, and we came up with a plan to conduct one graduation ceremony in the main gym. If we were to move forward with this plan, each student would only get three graduation tickets. Two tickets would be for the gym and one ticket would be for the auditorium (where the ceremony would be streamed). That is the only way we could possibly pull this off.”
By 6:58 p.m., Copsey emailed students again, confirming the decision:
“The majority of the respondents from our graduation survey responded that they want to graduate in the gymnasium together as a class in one ceremony… If we are forced to move indoors for graduation, we will graduate in the gymnasium in one ceremony at 10 a.m.”
“This was not one of the options originally presented to us,” one parent told The BayNet. “People flew in from out of state based on the four-ticket plan, and now they can’t even get in.”
Another parent, who asked to remain anonymous, shared their concern about the impact on families with complex structures:
“Was it considered, before making this decision, that many families include two sets of parents? Under both Plans A and B, all parents were guaranteed the ability to attend and celebrate their child’s graduation in person. But now, with this last-minute change aimed at satisfying students, only two of the four parents in these families can be present… This decision forces parents into an impossible situation, undermining the commitment and sacrifices they’ve made along the way. It is not just an oversight—it is a failure to consider the very foundation of family.”
For many, the disappointment has been deeply personal. One mother shared the words her son told her in the face of the confusion:
“At the end of the day, my son says, ‘When I hold up my certificate, I’m going to be looking for you, not my friends in the stands.’”
Adding to the frustration, a parent reported Tuesday that when their student received their graduation envelope, guest streaming tickets were for remote viewing at Leonardtown Middle School, not the high school auditorium as previously stated.
“My son got his graduation tickets, and inside were two tickets to watch the streamed event at Leonardtown Middle School instead of the one ticket in the high school auditorium, which we were told even last night,” the parent said. “Now they’re not even in the same building.”
District Responds
At 4:35 p.m. on May 27, J.R. Beavers, Ed.D., deputy superintendent of schools for St. Mary’s County Public Schools, provided the following statement to The BayNet in response to community inquiries that included an additional live-stream ticket for families:
“Below you will find a response to inquiries that have come directly into the Superintendent’s Office. I think this will provide an understanding of the scenario and what the plan is for tomorrow.”
In the formal message addressed to Leonardtown High School students and families:
“We want to acknowledge that LHS heard from almost 650 students and/or parents who have expressed a strong desire for all graduates to participate in a single, unified ceremony. We recognize the importance of this milestone for families and students alike and appreciate the collective voice advocating for a shared celebration.
Please know that there are no alternative indoor options in St. Mary’s County for a graduating class of almost 550 students and their 2,000 guests. Moreover, an alternative date would interfere with Project Graduation, a decades-long tradition to celebrate our graduates. We truly value all perspectives and support the school’s decision on the best way to honor everyone’s wishes and ensure a meaningful celebration for all, given the constraints of our county.
While this is not ideal, the weather is beyond our control. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.”
Key Details
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 10 a.m.
Location: Leonardtown High School gymnasium, Leonardtown High School auditorium, and Leonardtown Middle School cafeteria
Tickets: Each graduate will receive two tickets to the LHS gymnasium for family to attend in person, as well as two additional tickets to attend one of the two live-stream venues in the LHS auditorium and LMS cafeteria.
Live Stream: For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony will be live-streamed on YouTube. Please use the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vWPHdniDRY
Parents now question how nearly 650 responses were reportedly received within a three-hour window on a federal holiday, noting the graduating class includes approximately 550 students.
For more graduation resources and links to other schools’ ceremonies, visit www.smcps.org/graduation
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
With the school systems ability to remotely teach, I don’t understand why they can’t make this a viewable event for anyone who wishes to watch it. (Shoulder shrug). For what it’s worth, few really dwell on who was or wasn’t at their graduation.
Not even both parents could be in the same building if you have a child with you. My family was forced to sit in different schools because of this. During the livestream it buffered 3 times and missed some of the ceremony. My kid was devistated that his parents could not be there to support him in all his hard work. They say they didnt want to move project grad which is a decades long tradition, but yet they could change how graduations flow and this was the 46th ceremony they have held? that seems fishy to me. My kid didnt even want to attend project grad they wanted to have the love and support of the family.