Commencement May 27 for PHS Class of 2017

Several thousand people are expected Friday night as Pittsburg High School conducts their annual commencement ceremony for the Senior Class of 2017.
The ceremony begins at 8 p.m. with 176 seniors graduating this year.
Jennifer Rodriguez is this year’s valedictorian and Taylor Porter is the salutatorian. Both girls plan at attended Texas A&M University in College Station this fall.
Rodriguez finished with a 4.7 grade-point average and Porter had a 4.6.
Girls dominate this year’s Top 10 Percent with only three boys – Sterling Walker (4.37, seventh), William Triston Adams (4.28, ninth) and David By (4.06, 15th).
The remainder of the group with Rodriguez and Porter are Lexi Smith (4.55, third), Kaycee Parker (4.54, fourth), Madison Busch (4.42, fifth), Bailey Smith (4.40, sixth), Jana Rowe (4.32, eighth), Caitlyn Wildey (4.23, 10th), 
Hailey McNatt (4.18, 11th), Ashley Stilwell (4.17, 12th), Camille Reynolds (4.11, 13th), Esmeralda Suarez (4.07, 14th)  Jennifer Chapina (4.04, 16th), Murandi Aycock (4.03, 17th) and Laura Ross (4.03, 18th).
Among the graduating seniors are a set of twins, Colby and Shelbi Hill, and a brother and sister, Braden and Natalie Henderson.
It will also be one of the first major events at the new renovated Pirate Stadium with new seats and press box on the home stand, along with a new digital scoreboard.
Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. with school security and personnel on hand directing visitors into the home stands, according to the Pittsburg ISD website. 
People will be sitting in the new home stands for graduation and the new parking lot is open for parking. Both gates will be open so you may park in the home parking lot off of Elm Street and the high school parking lot off of Texas Street.
The district is asking persons attending the graduation to be cautious of construction material located in the home parking lot and avoid blocking entrance ways.
Restrooms will be open at the band concession stand located at the west end zone. Access below the new home stands will not be allowed due to ongoing construction. People are asked not to cross any caution barriers.
Persons will need to walk on the track toward the new stands and go through the openings provided and do not get off the track into the construction area.
Family and friends will not be allowed onto the field until the end of the ceremony.