A West Bladen High School graduate from the Class of 2020 wearing his stole and cords to signify his academic achievements (cords) and extracurricular involvement (stole).
Courtesy of the West Bladen High School Facebook page
BLADEN COUNTY — Graduation is approaching for Bladen County Schools (BCS) seniors. It is an incredibly exciting time in a student’s life as they celebrate their past 12 years and look to their futures.
Some students and their families are expressing frustration with the decision by BCS to allow a specific list of pre-approved cords and stoles which would exclude the regalia of some students’ clubs or organizations that are not included in the list.
“Last spring, district administrators and high school principals came together to establish unified graduation procedures to eliminate discrepancies between the schools’ ceremonies and ensure we were aligned with our graduation plans and requirements—including the list of approved stoles and cords.”
Upon the announcement of the approved list of cords and stoles, Bladen County students and their families began to speak out on Facebook in disagreement with the decision.
In a comment under the BCS Facebook post announcing the rules, one concerned Bladen resident stated, “If they earned it at school no matter what CTE class or any accomplished they should be able to wear it. If school don’t allow it, it could be a discouragement to them to try hard to earn things.”
The BCS post has also been shared by alumni of both East and West Bladen High Schools with many former West Bladen graduates sharing stories of the 2018 ceremony when two students were told they could not wear a cord signifying their enlistment in the United States Army.
Following the backlash on Facebook, BCS posted an update on the original post, stating, “It was recently brought to our attention that some students were presented with cords not on the approved list. After careful consideration, the district will allow those cords to be worn at this year’s ceremonies.”
In years past, information about graduation (such as tickets, dress code, cords, and stoles) has been released to seniors in the spring as the ceremony approaches. However, beginning at the start of the 2023-2024 school year, all graduation details will be included in the High School Handbook that students receive on the first day of school.
“We always want to do what’s best for our students,” says Dr. Jason Atkinson, Superintendent. “We are planning to reconvene in the coming weeks to review our graduation procedures and reevaluate the approved list of stoles and cords.”
Anyone with questions regarding approved stoles and cords should contact their school’s principal.