MCPS Changes Graduation Plans after Parent Uprising
The announcement earlier this week that all graduations for the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) class of 2026 would be held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) was met with a county-wide outcry of anger and disbelief. After 72 hours of brutal social media posts, critical news coverage, and thousands of complaint emails, MCPS has quickly changed course.
In a letter emailed to parents this afternoon, MCPS school superintendent Thomas Taylor apologized for the gaffe and shared a new plan designed to better accommodate school families and staff.
"We are truly sorry for the stress and anxiety induced by the thought of having to navigate both 495 and 695 on each leg of the commute," Taylor wrote. "We respect Montgomery County parents' preference to fight through inner city traffic and pay $62.50 to park seven blocks from the venue. Our new plan meets those needs and continues to provide a wide variety of overpriced, overcrowded lunchtime dining options for parents and their graduates."
To meet these demands, Taylor announced an entirely new location. "All MCPS high school graduations in 2026 will instead be held at the brand new, state-of-the-art White House Ballroom currently under construction at breakneck speed on the East Wing grounds," he shared with families and staff.
AI rendering of the new White House Ballroom (Credit: Instagram, by Marianne Williamson)
The scale of the new venue is a major improvement. At more than 90,000 square feet, the White House Ballroom commissioned by President Donald Trump will have a capacity of 10,000. "That's more than double DAR Constitution Hall," Taylor remarked. "Grandparents and siblings won't be left out anymore."
The arrangement comes with a few conditions. MCPS will be permitted free use of the luxurious ballroom space for all 26 of its high schools' graduations. In return, schools will select commencement speakers from the White House Ballroom Speakers Bureau. Personalities available in May 2026 include Steve Bannon, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Paul Gosar, Kari Lake, Mike Lindell, Dan Bongino, Sebastian Gorka, Alex Jones, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Laura Loomer, and Robin Ficker.
News of the graduation venue change met with mixed reactions from county leaders. Council President Kate Stewart praised the decision, noting that use of the White House facilities, "allows the county to enforce its policy of limiting press access to journalists who say nice things about me." County Executive Marc Elrich acknowledged that benefit but said he is considering canceling graduations entirely. "With 34 percent of the student population coming from Latino families, it seems like a risky plan to gather just about any place," he said.
