High School Graduations
Congratulations class of 2025!
Jump to: Graduation Schedule | Tickets and Programs | At the Ceremony | Parking | Photography | Watch Ceremonies
Graduation Schedule
Commencement Dates Announced!
Commencement times for each school are listed below. View commencement schedule by day →
Atholton High School
May 29, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.
Cedar Lane School
May 21, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Centennial High School
May 28, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Glenelg High School
May 29, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Hammond High School
May 27, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Howard High School
May 28, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Long Reach High School
May 22, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Marriotts Ridge High School
May 29, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Mt. Hebron High School
May 28, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.
Oakland Mills High School
May 22, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.
Reservoir High School
May 27, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
River Hill High School
May 22, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Wilde Lake High School
May 21, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Tickets and Programs
Tickets:
Each senior participating in graduation will be provided with 10 guest tickets. Tickets will be distributed to students at school in May.
Ceremony Programs:
Families will receive two printed copies of the commencement ceremony program, which will be distributed with ceremony tickets. Printed programs will not be available at graduation ceremonies; however, all programs will be posted online for viewing and/or downloading. QR codes directing families to programs will be posted on site at Merriweather Post Pavilion and at Cedar Lane for that school’s ceremony.
At the Ceremony
Accessibility
ASL interpreters will be on stage at each ceremony and visible on the large screens in the pavilion, and on the live feed and rebroadcasts.
Prohibited Items
Balloons and posters/signs are prohibited from all graduation ceremonies to ensure audience members are not blocked from viewing the ceremony. Additional items prohibited by Merriweather can be found on the Merriweather website.
Seating
Guests may sit in available pavilion seats behind and to the sides of the sections reserved for graduates. Guests who are more comfortable with increased distance may also choose to sit on the lawn. No students, school staff or guests are allowed on the upper level.
After the Ceremony
Students and guests are asked to exit Merriweather as quickly as possible to allow the next school to set up for their ceremony, and for those students/families to safely enter the pavilion.
Parking
Parking information will be available prior to the May 2025 graduations.
Photography
Commencement ceremonies are public events and, as such, may be photographed or videotaped. HCPSS provides candid photos of the stage and audience, which are made available for viewing and download online. Individual photos of graduates receiving their diplomas are provided by Lifetouch. Schools will communicate specifics on those photos prior to graduation.
It is imperative that media and other photographers/videographers do not interfere with the official documenting of commencement events and observe the following guidelines:
- Representatives of news outlets should wear their media ID badges in a plain sight. Upon arrival at Merriweather Post Pavilion on the day of the event, check in backstage with the HCPSS graduation coordinator(s).
- Follow directions regarding where you will be permitted to stand in order to avoid interfering with the commencement activities.
- Only members of the media and County agencies may be allowed to photograph from the stage. Special permission must be requested in advance through HCPSS Public Information by calling 410-313-6682 or emailing publicinfo@hcpss.org. Permission will not be granted on the day of the commencement.
- Failure to follow these guidelines may result in removal from the premises.
How to Watch Graduations
HCPSS will stream each graduation online. Viewers will access the online graduations at the school's scheduled date/time by going to www.hcpss.org up to 10 minutes prior to each event. Archived videos will be available soon after each graduation's end by selecting the applicable school from the boxes above on this page. Videos can be accessed permanently on the HCPSS YouTube channel.
HCPSS also will rebroadcast the graduations on Howard County cable channels 42 (Verizon) and 95 (Comcast). A rebroadcast schedule will be made available prior to the May 2025 graduations.