Area schools are winding down the 2004-05 school year with plansfor graduation.

Among the first schools in the area to hold commencementexercises is Brookhaven Academy, which will hold ceremonies at 8p.m. Friday in John R. Gray Gymnasium at the school.

Dr. Miller Hammill, headmaster at the school, said Sen. ThadCochran will speak to graduates.

Miller said Cochran is speaking at the school because two of itsseniors, Garrett Jackson and Ben Rowley, both served as Senatepages for the senator this past year in Washington.

Miller said he expects 39 seniors to graduate from theschool.

The following Friday, May 20, three area schools will holdgraduation ceremonies. Brookhaven High School and Lawrence CountyHigh School graduations begin at 7 p.m., and Wesson AttendanceCenter graduation starts at 7:30 p.m.

Both Brookhaven and Lawrence County will hold their graduationceremonies on their football fields, while Wesson will hold itsceremonies at Stone Stadium on the Copiah-Lincoln Community CollegeCampus.

Susan Chapman, principal of BHS, said approximately 185 seniorswill graduate.

Billy Britt, principal of Wesson Attendance Center, said in caseof rain, ceremonies will be held at Rea Auditorium. In that case,the 68 seniors will be issued only a limited number of tickets tothe ceremony.

Saturday, May 21 will see the first graduating class of theMississippi School of the Arts.

Dr. Vicki Bodenhamer, executive director of the school, said 38seniors are graduating in ceremonies to be held in LamptonAuditorium.

Approximately 154 students will graduate from the Lincoln CountySchool system. Loyd Star Attendance Center and West LincolnAttendance Center will both hold graduation ceremonies in theirgyms with Loyd Star at 6:30 p.m. and West Lincoln at 8 p.m. onThursday, May 26.

The two remaining Lincoln County schools will hold commencementexercises the following night, Friday, May 27. EnterpriseAttendance Center and Bogue Chitto Attendance Center will holdtheir graduation ceremonies in their gyms, with Enterprisebeginning at 6:30 p.m. and Bogue Chitto at 8 p.m.

Also graduating Friday, May 27 is Franklin County High School,which expects approximately 82 seniors to graduate.

The DAILY LEADER will publish a special section honoring areahigh school graduates on Friday, May 20. It will contain photos andinformation on graduates, as well as announce the STAR Teacher andSTAR Student from each school.