Caps and gowns, audiences of proud and weepy friends, family and teachers, lots of speeches, and, of course, diplomas. Graduation hasn’t changed much over the years.

Until this year. Friday’s commencement ceremonies for Renton’s three comprehensive high schools feature a major change: a new location.

For the first time in about eight years, graduation ceremonies for Hazen, Lindbergh and Renton high schools aren’t at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

Friday’s ceremonies are at the newly opened ShoWare Center in Kent.

“Cost is the major reason why we chose to go with ShoWare Center,” says Randy Matheson, spokesperson for Renton School District.

Last year’s three graduation ceremonies at Meydenbauer cost nearly $21,000, Matheson says. This year, the price tag at ShoWare is only $12,000.

Most of the money comes from the budgets of the three high schools, Matheson says.

The principals at Hazen, Lindbergh and Renton decided to change graduation venues at the beginning of this school year, months before ShoWare opened, Matheson said.

ShoWare opened in January.

Renton Memorial Stadium was an early candidate for the new venue. But the outdoor seating was deemed too risky, and, after figuring in the cost to hire Renton police, the expected price tag for the Renton stadium came out to be nearly the same as ShoWare’s charge.

Despite the lower cost, ShoWare has all the amenities of Meydenbauer.

ShoWare, the home of the Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Club, has 6,000 seats. Meydenbauer has only 5,000 or so.

Friday’s graduation ceremonies at ShoWare will feature the same security and real-time video presentations as provided at Renton’s recent graduations at Meydenbauer.

And, unlike Meydenbauer, ShoWare doesn’t charge extra for parking, Matheson said. ShoWare is also closer to Renton than Meydenbauer.

Seating capacity was never a problem at Meydenbauer, Matheson says, but ceremonies were cramped during the few times that Renton High School used its own gym for graduation.

Before the move to Meydenbauer, Hazen, Lindbergh and Renton high schools used various facilities for graduation.

But sharing a facility and day makes graduation run smoothly, Matheson says, especially for the district staff and school board members who attend each ceremony.

About 675 students are expected to graduate Friday from the three Renton schools. About 684 graduated last year.

“We graduate roughly 81 percent of our schools,” Matheson said.

The actual number of this year’s graduates won’t be calculated until about two weeks after school ends.

Graduations Friday

The graduations of Hazen, Lindbergh and Renton high schools are Friday at ShoWare Center, 625 W. James St., Kent.

• Hazen High School: 12:30 p.m.

• Renton High School: 4 p.m.

• Lindbergh High School: 7:30 p.m.

Graduations next week

• Black River High School: June 16, 3 p.m. at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center.

• Sartori Education Center: June 17, 4 p.m. at Renton Technical College.

• Renton Academy: June 18, 5 p.m. at Renton Academy.