After family push, Belleville 201 standardizes tributes for deceased graduates

Belleville Township High School District 201 has a new policy for remembering deceased students at graduation – and it’s being praised by the grieving family that has been pushing for the change.

The school board approved the new procedure at a Monday afternoon special meeting. This meeting was called specifically to consider “posthumous graduation protocol,” the notice said.

The new policy applies to both high schools. Key facets, as read aloud by Superintendent Marshaun Warren during the meeting, include:

• Parents or legal guardians of deceased students must request that their child be recognized during the ceremony
• Deceased students’ names will be printed inside the graduation program
• Deceased students’ names will be read aloud following a moment of silence during the ceremony
• Diplomas of deceased students will be presented to their family the day before the ceremony in private setting
• Parents or legal guardians may place “small articles of remembrance” in the graduation lobby or other designated student organizing area so students can pay respects before the ceremonies. This must be approved by the campus principal at least one week before graduation ceremonies.

“Belleville Township High School District 201 understands graduation carries a unique emotional weight for those who are grieving. This procedure is conveyed with deep empathy, dignity and respect,” the procedure concludes.

The new procedure drew applause from family and friends of Keagan Rex, a senior at Belleville East high school who died from complications of epilepsy months before he was set to graduate.

“Keagan made a difference,” his mom, Amy Morris, said following Monday’s meeting.

The group first started advocating for a new policy when Morris learned his name wouldn’t be called at what would have been his graduation ceremony, nor would a tribute like an empty chair with his picture be allowed. Instead, Rex’s name would be in the program and there would be a moment of silence for students who died.

Warren told the Belleville News-Democrat it was her understanding that both schools traditionally honored deceased students that way.

Morris and her supporters’ calls continued — perhaps even grew louder — after Belleville West called deceased senior Dalton Vonderheide’s name during what would have been his graduation ceremony and presented a loved one with his diploma on stage, despite Belleville East not giving Rex these honors.

Rex’s friends and family have been urging the board to adopt a policy that ensures consistency in how the schools honor deceased students at graduation and prioritizes family input and even pitched a proposal of their own at last week’s meeting.

Morris told the BND she is “more than happy” with the protocol the board approved Monday afternoon. She, along with a handful of others, planned to speak at Monday’s meeting, but decided not to after the approved procedure was read.

“Having a policy allows families a sense of clarity in a time that’s really dark,” said Belleville’s Shelby Merrell, who also planned to address the board but ultimately decided not to.

Morris and her supporters said they were surprised that a new procedure had been developed to be voted on at Monday’s meeting. Merrell said she believes the district could have been more transparent with Morris as they moved through the process of drafting the change. Ultimately, both Merrell and Morris hope the new protocol benefits other grieving families.

“I’m glad nobody else will hopefully have to go through this,” Morris said.

Board President Mike Eiskant addressed Morris and her supporters at the meeting and said the district and board “always had the best intentions” and considered the group’s feedback, and that of others, when creating the new procedure.

“There were a lot of people, especially the building principals, who put a lot of effort behind organizing it and it certainly wasn’t intended to put undue stress and strain on the families,” Eiskant said.