Crookston High School will hold its Class of 2026 graduation ceremony on Friday, May 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. in the gymnasium. 88 students comprise this year’s graduating class, according to counselor Tara Klein, who organizes the graduation festivities across the seniors’ final week. Klein says this time of year is special not only for the seniors but also for the staff, who have seen these students grow before their eyes over the past four years.
“We have a great group of seniors this year. It’s been an absolute joy to watch them grow up since I’ve been here the last five years,” Klein says. “There are many stories I’ve been reminiscing with some of the seniors that will come out at graduation, I’m pretty sure, in any one of the speeches that are coming up. So it’ll be bittersweet seeing this group move on to the next chapter. And it really starts hitting them not until that Friday morning when they’re doing their senior walk, and then a lot of emotions come out for them.”
Klein says seniors will start with two normal days of school on Monday and Tuesday, but will have their Senior Fun Day on Wednesday after completing their senior check-out. She says this is one of the most anticipated moments for seniors during their final week.
“On Wednesday, that last checkout day, where they check in their computer, they pay any fines, turn in books, and then they end up busing out to the Trinity Point on Maple Lake, in order to have their senior fun day and just hang out together one last time as a full class.”
Klein says Thursday would’ve normally been a day off for the seniors, but because of the amount of snow days accumulated this year, Thursday was designated as the make-up day to ensure seniors reached the required number of school days for the year and earn their graduation. Friday will be the busiest day of the week, as seniors join faculty for breakfast before they are loaded onto buses for a final senior walk-through of Cathedral, Highland, and Washington Elementary Schools, an honor that Klein says becomes an emotional moment for the seniors.
“That’s one of the seniors’ favorite parts,” she explains, “and the teachers and all the staff at the schools enjoy seeing them walk through one last time and giving them a congratulations as they’re moving on to the next chapter of their lives.”
Following their senior walk through the elementary schools, they will return to Crookston High for an additional senior walk and their class photo before a rehearsal of the graduation ceremony. Seniors will arrive at CHS by 6:30 to ensure a prompt start at 7:00 p.m. Student speakers will include Ava Martin and Taylor Wieland, who will give a joint speech, and Chloe Boll, who will give a solo speech. Brandon Neibauer–Adams will be the faculty speaker. For anyone who can’t make it to the ceremony, KROX will video-stream the graduation ceremony live.
