The class of 2026 is getting ready to take their final steps as North Allegheny students.
Commencement will take place at 7 p.m. June 5 at Newman Stadium, 10375 Perry Highway, in McCandless.
This year’s class features 670 students, just three short of last year’s class size.
“I truly think North Allegheny’s graduation is one of the best around. (The) graduates work hard to get to this point. We want this ceremony to reflect all of the accomplishments of 2026. I look forward to the class of 2026 to have the wonderful send-off that they deserve,” said Dan Solenday, the class co-sponsor and a math teacher at the high school.
Gates will open at 5 p.m., and tickets are not required for graduation. All guests must be seated by 6:30 p.m. The entrance to the stadium will close from about 6:40 to 7:05 p.m. as the seniors walk from the senior high through the parking lot to their seats on the stadium’s field, after which the gates will reopen, according to Solenday.
Parking is limited. Shuttle service to the high school will be available beginning at 5 p.m. from St. Alexis Church, 10090 Old Perry Highway in McCandless. The shuttle will run throughout the evening.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on North Allegheny’s website with the link available by the afternoon of June 5.
In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be at 9:30 a.m. June 6. Communication will be shared ahead of time to families and posted online at northallegheny.org, according to Solenday.
Matt Buchak, principal of the high school, said the evening will feature four student speakers: (listed alphabetically) Alicia Gasana, Sagar Raghavan, senior class President Dharshan Raju and Vamshi Singari.
Student speakers are selected by a panel of teachers, administrators and student class representatives by using a rubric to score each student speaker. The scores are tallied, and the top two to four speakers are selected, he said.
“This year, as a sign of appreciation for our student speakers, we video-recorded each speech to give to the speakers. We had 20 auditions and are grateful to our students for sharing their experiences in the North Allegheny School District,” Buchak said.
Seniors enjoy a variety of activities ahead of the big day, including senior prom on April 18. A semi-formal senior banquet will be held May 29 on the Gateway Clipper.
The banquet celebrates seniors with dinner, a river cruise, dancing and the Senior Superlatives Ceremony. Transportation will be provided to and from the event, Buchak said.
North Allegheny also will host its fifth annual Walk Back in Time on June 4.
“During this celebration, seniors will return to where their NA journey began — our elementary schools. As they walk down memory lane through familiar hallways, they’ll receive a heartfelt round of applause from former teachers and current students,” Buchak said.