Beaufort County schools announce plan for graduations during coronavirus closures
Beaufort County School District will take its June graduations online, district officials announced Tuesday — but students will still have some in-person celebrations to look forward to.
Ahead of the digital ceremonies, seniors have the option to go to their schools, walk across the stage and hear their names called.
Their walks will be filmed and edited into the graduation footage, which will be posted on the day of graduation and include prerecorded speeches from Superintendent Frank Rodriguez, as well as the school principal, class valedictorian and salutatorian.
Students will film in groups of 10, and may bring two supporters with them to the filming. Everyone present must wear a mask, though seniors can remove theirs for their walk, and temperatures will be checked by school nurses at the door. Anyone with a temperature above 100 degrees will not be allowed to enter.
In addition, schools will hold drive-through celebrations on the day of graduation where students will be congratulated by school staff and dignitaries. Seniors will receive their diplomas at the end of the drive-through celebrations, Rodriguez told school board members Tuesday.
“We feel that this provides students with a good celebration to honor them during these difficult times, but at the same time, keeps everyone safe,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a difficult decision for me to make because graduation is, as you know, the crown jewel of public education.”
May River High School senior Samantha Foster said the decision was “nowhere near what she ever expected.”
“We don’t have the opportunity now to say goodbye to anyone that we haven’t seen in a while,” she said. “I was on the phone with some friends when we heard (the announcement), and that’s the main thing we were looking forward to, was saying goodbye.”
Each high school will contact its graduating seniors and their families with details on its video-recording schedules and drive-through graduation celebrations, according to a district press release.
The district’s six high school graduation movie premieres and drive-through celebrations are set for:
- June 1 – Battery Creek High
- June 2 – Beaufort High
- June 3 – May River High
- June 4 – Whale Branch Early College High
- June 5 – Hilton Head Island High
- June 6 – Bluffton High