Black Hawk College East Campus’ 2024 commencement will be held at Wethersfield High School, rather than the Kewanee National Guard Armory, its traditional location, since the Armory is closed for renovations.
The Wethersfield Board of Education approved a request from the college at its February meeting Thursday night for use of the high school gym for East Campus graduation ceremonies scheduled for Friday, May 17.
Superintendent Dr. Andrew Brooks said he was contacted last week by college officials after they were informed by the National Guard that delays in renovation work at the Kewanee Armory would not make it possible to hold the commencement there in May. A committee from the college toured the Wethersfield facilities and found they would suit their needs.
“They were especially glad to hear the gym is now air conditioned,” said Dr. Brooks.
He said the home side seating and bleachers on the stage will be used for the audience while a portable stage will be placed at the west end of the gym. Graduates, faculty, staff and additional audience will be seated on the gym floor with chairs from the Armory to be brought in to supplement the school’s inventory. The cafeteria, also recently air conditioned, will be used as the preparation area.
Brooks said college maintenance staff will assist school personnel in setting up the gym. Wethersfield’s graduation is set for Sunday, May 19, in the gym and WHS Principal Tyler Nichols said a practice for seniors set for that day will have to be moved but that should not pose a problem.
John Meineke, director of marketing and public relations for Black Hawk College, told The Kewanee Voice on Friday “Our numbers are still changing as students make decisions on graduation or possibly continuing. But for now, we should have more than 100 students participating in commencement. We are holding one ceremony at 7 p.m. We had 98 last year, so this year should see an increase.” He added that some students may have more than one degree or certificate award.
The relationship between the Armory and the East Campus goes back 57 years to 1967 when the East Campus was founded. Classes were held for the first three years at the Armory during the day and in the evening at Kewanee High School until the permanent campus was established south of Kewanee in 1970.
The first group of students to complete the two-year course of study – there were 14 – walked across the stage at the Armory on the evening of Friday, June 5, 1969.
Since then, the only years the commencement was not held there were 2020 and 2021 when the ceremony was pre-recorded and posted online due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Over the years, the Armory gym was the home court of the BHE men’s and women’s basketball teams until the programs were discontinued in 2016.
Dr. Brooks said the college was told that the renovation of the Armory will hopefully be completed by September.
The board also approved a four-year contract with the Wethersfield Education Association which extends from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028. Dr. Brooks said the current three-year contract with certified staff had one more year to go but “given economic conditions and inflation we thought it would be good to start early,” extending the contract to 2028.
He said talks began in October and the teacher’s union ratified the agreement last week. The contract includes just over a 3.1% salary increase the first year, and a 5% increase each to the following three years. Dr. Brooks said after 18% increases in health insurance in each of the past two years the district changed providers resulting in substantial savings which helped.
“We have outstanding teachers and wanted to reward them for their hard work and motivate them to continue with the great job they do every day,” Brooks said.
