BATAVIA – Batavia High School officials are looking at the idea of moving the high school’s graduation ceremony off site starting next year to allow graduates to bring more guests.

Batavia High School Principal Lisa Hichens told school board members Tuesday that as the graduation classes grow in size, the school has had to limit the number of guests to five per graduate. The high school may have to further limit the number of guests because the classes of 2013, 2014 and 2015 will have more graduates than the Class of 2012.

Parents and students were surveyed in May about whether to move the ceremony off site. While parents were split – 50.4 percent were in favor of moving the ceremony – 80 percent of the students in the Class of 2013 voted in favor of moving the ceremony, Hichens said.

Officials have looked at off-site locations and determined that Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center in DeKalb meets the school’s needs and will be available May 31, the date of the high school’s graduation, Hichens said.

“Many of the suggested locations do not have the capacity or are outdoor venues,” Hichens said, noting the school needs seating for a minimum of 3,500 people.

The Convocation Center has a capacity of 10,000 seats and 3,000 parking spaces. Several area high schools held their graduation ceremonies there this year, including Kaneland High School and West Aurora High School.

If the graduation ceremony is moved to the Convocation Center, there would be no limit to the number of guests a graduate could bring, Hichens said. The ceremony would begin at 7 p.m., with graduates arriving at 6 p.m.

It has not been finalized yet whether Batavia Access Television will broadcast the ceremony live. Those who want to give feedback to Hichens on the proposal to move the graduation ceremony can email her at lisa.hichens@bps101.net.