School board moves 2027 graduation date due to scheduling conflict with track Sectionals

TOMAHAWK – Next year’s Tomahawk High School (THS) graduation ceremony date has been changed due to a scheduling conflict with the Division II track Sectional competition.

During its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the School District of Tomahawk Board of Education gave the green light to changing the 2026-2027 district calendar to move the graduation date up one week.

District Administrator Wendell Quesinberry explained during the meeting that for years, the Division II track Sectional competition, which qualifying Tomahawk athletes compete in, was held on the Thursday ahead of Memorial Day weekend, and Division I Sectionals took place on that Friday, which is typically when THS holds its graduation ceremony. This year, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) swapped the track Sectional dates, meaning the Division II Sectionals will be held on the Friday of Tomahawk’s graduation ceremony. This would ultimately force seniors who qualify for Sectionals to choose between attending the competition or the graduation ceremony.

Quesinberry said he discussed the scheduling conflict with THS Principal Brad Potter and other district leadership, and they ultimately opted to move the graduation date up one week. Doing so, Quesinberry said, would maintain the tradition of holding graduation on a Friday night, which has gone over well with both graduates and their loved ones.

“It allows families to then go on and have their get-togethers over the course of that weekend,” Quesinberry stated.

The board ultimately voted to approve moving the 2027 graduation date from Friday, May 28 to Friday, May 21.

It was noted during the meeting that the track Sectional dates will be swapped every two years. Looking ahead, on years when the Division II track Sectionals are held on Thursday, graduation will take place on that Friday, per the typical district schedule. When the Division II competition is held on Friday, graduation will be moved up one week, as it will be in 2027.