A little rain never killed anyone.

But if it thunderstorms, complete with flashes of lightening, for Friday's planned graduation for this year's crop of Ridge High School seniors, the action will be moved indoors to the school's new gym, according to school officials.

The ceremony is due to start at 7 p.m. Heavy heat that has settled over the area since Wednesday afternoon is due to finally break on Friday, but showers and thunderstorms are predicted to bring about the lower temperatures.

The heat prompted a change of Thursday evening's plans for the graduation of eighth graders from William Annin Middle School from the usual location in the middle school auditorium to the cooler Performing Arts Center at Ridge.

The high school's ceremony typically is held outdoors on the school football field — as was the Bernards High School's outdoor ceremony, in intense heat on Wednesday evening.

In the past, more than one Ridge graduation has wavered on the need to move indoors.

Schools Superintendent Valerie Goger, who is retiring as of June 30 after being the district's superintendent since 1998, said she is not planning to speak at the ceremony, despite the fact that she would be attending both the Annin and Ridge graduations.

"It's about the students," she said, noting that she believes many don't even know the identity of the school district's superintendent.