Des Moines Public Schools’ class of 2026 will face new limits on how many people can attend graduation ceremonies this spring following several years of overcrowding and safety concerns.
Graduating seniors at Lincoln, Roosevelt, Hoover, East and North high schools will receive 10 tickets each when they pick up their cap and gown, according to a district message to families.
“This change was driven in large part by capacity at Drake University’s Knapp Center,” said Phil Roeder, the district’s spokesperson. “There have been times in recent years when the facility reached full capacity and people were not allowed to enter.”
Community members and graduates unhappy with the change have reached out to district officials, including school board members, to argue 10 tickets is not enough for large families.
“I received a good amount of emails or messages from family members that have kids (who) are graduating or grandkids (who) are graduating” about the change from open seating, Des Moines School Board member Anna Campos told the Des Moines Register.
The comments prompted the board member to make a post on her Anna Campos DMPS board Director Facebook page.
Campos, who comes from a large family, said she even received pushback from her own great-niece.
“I explained to her that, since I’ve been on the board and been at the graduations, there’s a lot of families that miss out on seeing their kids graduate because there’s families bringing 20 people to graduation,” she said.
There also have been issues related to violence, including shots being fired at the 2024 Roosevelt High School graduation at Drake University’s Knapp Center, she told people. Additionally, during the 2025 ceremony, repeated announcements had to be made for people to find a seat.
Both her niece and constituents agreed the reasons behind the move to tickets made sense.
“… (T)hey were still kind of upset, but a lot of them did understand that part,” she said.
This is not the first time DMPS has used tickets, Campos said. Years ago, when student counts were higher, she attended graduation events where tickets were used to keep attendance manageable.
Campos is encouraging families to share any extra tickets.
Officials are looking to add overflow seating at Mediacom Stadium to help remedy the issue and ensure those wanting to celebrate with graduates are close by, Roeder said. The hope is to show the ceremonies on the stadium’s scoreboard.
The graduation ceremonies will be livestreamed on DMPS’ YouTube page, he said.
“We’ll have more details that will be shared as we get closer to graduation weekend,” Roeder said.
Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com.
Read the letter to DMPS families
Dear Class of 2026 Families:
We are excited to celebrate the Class of 2026 of East, Hoover, Lincoln, North and Roosevelt high schools at Drake University’s Knapp Center on the weekend of May 23-24.
This year, graduation ceremonies for our five comprehensive high schools will include a ticketing system to ensure the Knapp Center remains a comfortable and safe environment for all students, families, and guests.
Each graduate will receive 10 tickets when they pick up their cap and gown. For entry to a graduation ceremony, guests will be required to present a ticket to Drake University staff for entry.
We appreciate your understanding and partnership as we work to make sure graduation is a joyful celebration for everyone. Additional information and reminders about all things related to graduation weekend will be shared as this exciting time draws near.
We look forward to honoring the Class of 2026 together!
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: DMPS to issue tickets to limit high school graduation overcrowding
Reporting by Samantha Hernandez, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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