Anchorage School District to hold graduation at Alaska Airlines Center while Sullivan Arena remains in use

Anchorage high school seniors will celebrate graduation at the Alaska Airlines Center this year while Sullivan Arena remains in use as a mass homeless shelter.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, seniors graduated at Sullivan Arena, a tradition that went back decades. The arena has been used as a mass care homeless shelter since 2020, although city officials and others are working on a plan to transition the Sullivan away from that use this summer.

The switch means students will be limited to six tickets per graduating senior.

“We’ve always liked this venue because it is really well-situated for hosting a graduation,” said district secondary director Marty Lang on a tour through the Alaska Airlines Center on Monday. “The limitation of the seats probably would have kept us at the Sullivan Arena had we not been forced to look for a different option.”

The district toured the Alaska Airlines Center in 2014 but opted not to use it for graduation because spectator numbers would be capped, he said.

Over the past two years, ASD graduation has looked different due to the pandemic. In 2020, the district did not have any large ceremonies and instead had drive-by graduations, while in 2021, the district held outdoor ceremonies at local high school sports fields.

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But even last year, seating was limited and varied from school to school. And it was labor-intensive moving equipment, while the weather was an X-factor, Lang said.

“This is a beautiful venue for graduation,” Lang said of the Alaska Airlines Center.

He said that six tickets may be constraining for some families, so principals have some discretionary tickets to help families out. The district is also streaming graduations for those who cannot attend in-person, and families not using all of their tickets may give theirs to others.

He said a challenge of the space is that while it can seat 5,000 people, the floor seats can’t be used due to space needed for the students, orchestra, faculty and stage. The reduces the arena’s capacity. Another area will be blocked off since the view will be obscured. All told, seating will be reduced to 2,200.

“Our large schools will definitely come pretty close to maxing that out,” Lang said.