Butler High School graduated about 180 seniors Friday at the Bell Auditorium, including a record number of honor graduates and recipients of more than $3.7 million in scholarships.
“Class of 2025, we are proud of you and we wish you the absolute best,” said Principal Bernard Chatman, presenting his final class before his retirement. “We want to thank you for your many contributions you have given to George P. Butler High School.”
In addition to scholarship milestones, the class celebrated academic and athletic accomplishments. Chatman noted that 73 students are eligible for the HOPE scholarship, 34 are heading to four-year colleges or universities, 15 will attend two-year colleges and five have enlisted in the armed forces.
In sports, the Butler Bulldogs won the boys’ 2A basketball state championship, the school’s first state championship since 1966. Girls’ soccer, varsity football and baseball all made it to the playoffs, while multiple track athletes qualified for state and varsity girls basketball made the Sweet 16, he said.
Valedictorian and STAR student Shanelle Reese addressed her classmates, sharing that her mother taught her the importance of education. Through learning, she said, “they are building something that no one can take away.”
As each graduate crossed the stage, they were greeted by Chatman, Interim Superintendent Malinda Cobb and several members of the Richmond County Board of Education.
The ceremony also included a moment of remembrance for a missing classmate. Chatman presented an honorary diploma to the parents of Zaire Person, a senior who was killed in a shooting in April 2023.
