Pomp and circumstance end great year at Sweet Home
GEOFFREY M. HICKS Superintendent Sweet Home Schools
The 48th commencement of Sweet Home High School took place on June 22. It is always the most emotional and exciting event in a school year, the culmination of 13 years of work by students.

While all graduating classes are uniquely special, sometimes a particular group of students really stand out, not only academically, but also for the content of their character. Sweet Home's Class of 2007 was just such a group.

Their collective accomplishments, in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and in the concert halls are impressive as is their commitment to raising funds for charity and community service deeds.

The class raised more than $6,000 for Carly's Club. They organized a blood drive for the Red Cross, and packed holiday presents for underprivileged families through the school's Share and Care program. The Class of 2007 also raised donations to make the Senior Lounge the coolest spot in the high school and worked with the teachers and administrators to facilitate a privilege pass system and emphasize a culture of respect and responsibility in the building.

At the Senior Awards night, 110 students in a graduating class of 262 received scholarships with a combined four-year award value of $3,304,640. Eighty-eight percent of the graduating class will seek to further their education by attending either a two- or four-year college. Amazingly, 54 percent of the Class of 2007 earned a Regents Diploma with Advanced Distinction, signifying the most rigorous graduation standard, and 55 percent of the class finished their high school career with an average of 85 or better.

Twenty-five of 28 sports teams at Sweet Home received scholar athlete recognition this year, meaning that the teams had an overall GPA of 90 percent or better. The Class of 2007 made the most of their opportunities at Sweet Home and their achievement speaks volumes about dedication and commitment of our faculty and about the core programs that successfully prepared them for the next level.

One month ago the Sweet Home community passed the 2007-08 school budget by a 3:1 margin. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the community for sending a clear message of support for the students of the district. I am also grateful for the support of the State Legislators who represent Sweet Home for the additional state aid that was part of the budget, allowing the district to keep our tax rate at an increase of approximately 2 percent. Our message to the community during this year's process was simple; the budget we crafted was fiscally responsible and it protected the core programs of the district. I think our community took that message to heart and provided us with a referendum of support.

We are extremely grateful for a quarter century of successful budget votes at Sweet Home, especially in a year when Erie County faced enormous problems, and we recognize that with the support of the community comes the responsibility to provide the very best educational, extracurricular, and interscholastic programs possible. I don't believe you could find a better testament to fulfilling that promise than the success of the Class of 2007.