Bluffton parents rent out drive-in for one school’s private graduation ceremony
When May River High School holds its virtual graduation ceremony in June, a group of parents will host their own in-person ceremony — on the same day, but without the school district.
So far, about 75 students have RSVPd to participate in the “large, outdoor, traditional graduation ceremony” and tailgate post-party, event organizer Natalie Miller said.
The event is still in the early planning phases, Miller said, and speakers and a lineup have not yet been announced.
Miller is part of a small group of May River High School parents who organized the private ceremony, which will take place at 1 p.m. on June 3, immediately following the district-hosted drive-in ceremony for seniors at May River High School.
It will be held at Highway 21’s drive-in theater in Beaufort, and each car entering must give a $20 “donation” to cover the event costs, Miller said.
While Miller initially said 100 students had to RSVP to cover the cost of the event, several parents and local businesses chipped in to make sure it still happened after only 75 students responded.
“Any May River senior who wants to attend this event will be able to attend, whether they RSVP or not,” Miller said.
All attendees will still be required to pay the $20 per car donation.
Highway 21 Drive-In owner Joe Barth said that his business is hosting similar events for “about eight schools.” On Monday, students from Hilton Head Christian Academy went to the drive-in to watch an hour-long film about their school careers.
“I’m a strong believer in doing what’s right,” Barth said. “If you go to school for 13 years, you deserve a graduation, not a virtual one. So when people reached out to me about holding graduations, I said yes.”
The district’s graduation plan
The Beaufort County School District has kept its virtual graduation plan in place despite several pleas from students and parents to reconsider.
It’s one of the few districts in South Carolina that has not announced an in-person ceremony — more than 30 school districts in the state have announced they will hold in-person commencements, according to the Charleston Post & Courier.
The district will post digital ceremonies — made up of pre-recorded speeches and videos of seniors walking across the stage — to its YouTube channel and Facebook page on each high school’s planned graduation date.
Students went to schools to film their walks in groups of 10. Originally, seniors were allowed to bring only two supporters with them; that limit was bumped to four after a meeting between student leaders and district officials.
Everyone present had to wear a mask, though seniors could remove them for their walk. Temperatures were checked by school nurses at the door, and anyone with a temperature above 100 degrees was not allowed to enter.
In addition, schools will hold drive-through celebrations on the day of graduation in which students will be congratulated by school staff and dignitaries. Seniors will receive their diplomas at the end of the drive-through celebrations.
Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said he was “open” to the possibility of a ceremony later in the year, similar to one the Charleston County School District has planned.
“I’m open to considering also having a later graduation time,” he said. “But I think it’s important that we have a ceremony like this virtual graduation and a celebration for them at this time and then have a later graduation perhaps when it’s safer to do so.”
‘A blind eye and a deaf ear’
Rodriguez announced the district’s graduation plan at the school board’s May 5 meeting.
He soon faced a backlash from students and parents who wanted in-person ceremonies.
Natalie Miller’s daughter, May River senior Jaylin Miller, began a change.org petition asking Rodriguez to reconsider graduation. In less than a week, she collected more than 1,800 signatures.
The Facebook group “Beaufort County Class Of 2020 Needs a Proper Graduation” has more than 800 members, several of whom attended Beaufort High School senior Heather Butler’s graduation protest and helped plan the May River graduation ceremony.
Others in the group have discussed similar ceremonies for other district high schools, though none have announced concrete plans.
Natalie Miller said the May River event is limited to one school because “there simply wasn’t a venue large enough (and available) to accommodate all of the students and their families.”
While some community members spoke in favor of the district’s graduation plan at the school board’s May 12 and 19 meetings, the overwhelming majority of speakers asked for an outdoor ceremony.
The board did not vote on the original graduation plan, but considered a motion to support Rodriguez’s decision last week.
It was amended to say the board “appreciates the diligence Dr. Rodriguez has exercised regarding the 2020 graduation ceremonies” and “fully supports our Superintendent,” eliminating any reference to a decision. The amended motion passed unanimously.
“What we’ve been asking for is something that’s been done in the majority of our state, and done well and safely,” Natalie Miller said. “... The board has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to these kids.”