TOPEKA, Kan. – Thanks, but maybe another time.

That’s essentially the message hundreds of Topeka area students and parents are sending to First Lady Michelle Obama and local school officials through a petition on Change.org.

Mrs. Obama is scheduled to speak at a joint graduation ceremony for five Topeka high schools May 17 at the city’s Landon Arena, which can hold roughly 10,000 people. But as students and parents began to realize that tickets to the event might be limited, many want the district to revert back to their traditional, separate graduation ceremonies, Syracuse.com reports.

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The White House and Topeka officials are apparently playing up the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education that declared segregation in schools unconstitutional, and are using Obama’s appearance to highlight the event.

But over 2,000 people who have signed a petition on Change.org believe the district should stick with their separate school ceremonies because the joint event would limit seating to four people per family. They’re also concerned about the length of the combined ceremonies, according to the petition started by Taylor Rose.

“There are problems that come with the combining of the commencements. First of all, for most families in (the area), money is short and we have spent hundreds of dollars buying graduation announcements that are now incorrect. The district has stated they will not refund this.

“Topeka High School’s graduation on its own takes approximately two and a half hours. The combining of five high schools will increase that to about six hours. With increased security the total time will be brought up to eight hours.

“Secondly, families have many people coming from states away taking sick leave to see graduation. They will come to Topeka, only to find that they cannot be involved. Those with divorced families will have to choose which side of the family they want to invite, this doesn’t even include siblings,” according to the petition.

The petitioners are urging school officials to return the graduation ceremonies to the normal place and schedule, and to have Michelle Obama speak at one event, and live stream it to the others.

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“I’m the oldest of eight,” one Topeka senior said, adding that she’d be forced to choose between family members for the joint graduation ceremony, according to Syracuse.com.

“These are people that have watched me grow up and become the person I am,” she said.

Parents and students packed the district’s school board meeting last Thursday to confront school officials about the combined graduation.

“We’d like our graduation back,” one student said, according to WIBW.com.