The Gasconade County R-2 Board of Education on Monday night moved the 2022 graduation date back to a Friday with a 7-0 vote at the recommendation of Owensville High School Principal Kris Altemeyer.

During a unanimous vote, the board of education approved Friday, May 20, 2022, to host graduation at Altemeyer’s recommendation. 

“Back to our conversation from last meeting, talking to Dr. (Jeri Kay) Hardy, parents, some other factors and other schools, it makes more sense to put it at that Friday evening so it works better the rest of the week,” Altemeyer said. “My recommendation is to put it on May 20 at 7 o’clock.”

Altemeyer had given the board notice during the September meeting that he may recommend moving graduation to a Thursday or Friday versus Sunday so graduation week runs smoother. Altemeyer explained this reasoning to the board at the September meeting. 

“For the last couple of years it has been held on a Sunday. Dr. (Jeri Kay) Hardy and I have been talking quite a bit about how that flows with graduation week and I think we both agree that there is too big of a gap. We have academic awards on Tuesday, Baccalaureate on Wednesday night and then nothing until Sunday,” Altemeyer told the board in September.

He also visited with area schools about their graduation dates to try to avoid a schedule conflict. Three have graduation Thursday, three on Friday and one on Sunday. His original recommendation was to schedule the senior event on a Thursday night.

During the Oct. 18 meeting, the board approved reverting the graduation date back to a Friday with no discussion about the change.