Beaufort Co. schools plan for outdoor graduations — but first, they need state’s OK
Beaufort County’s school board voted Wednesday to shift high school graduation dates a few days earlier, with the intent to host in-person, outdoor ceremonies subject to “COVID-19 and physical distancing protocols.”
Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said his “first priority” is holding in-person graduations, even if that means splitting ceremonies into smaller events divided by last name or similar measures.
“Our preference is to find a way if possible to have (graduation) safely done outdoors,” he said. “And if that meant having to split graduation, then that may be what we have to do.”
However, the district will need approval from South Carolina’s government agencies first, district officials said.
In July, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order prohibiting events at sports stadiums and other large venues with more than 250 attendees or 50% of their capacity. Events with attendance above that threshold have to get clearance from the S.C. Department of Commerce to proceed.
The S.C. Department of Education told districts they would need to send graduation “safety plans” to the S.C. Department of Commerce and Department of Health and Environmental Control for approval, Mary Stratos, the district’s chief instructional services officer, said Wednesday.
S.C. DOE spokesperson Ryan Brown said Thursday that the department was working with the Department of Commerce and would release instructions for districts with 250-plus graduation attendees next week.
Details on the planned ceremonies, such as the number of guests allowed to attend and possible safety or PPE protocols, haven’t been released yet.
If the district’s in-person graduation plan isn’t approved, Stratos said the district will revert to last year’s graduation plan, which drew major backlash from seniors and parents alike.
The district opted to hold ceremonies online, streaming the ceremonies on the day of graduation.
Seniors had the option to go into school ahead of the ceremonies to film socially distanced, masked walks across the stage, with up to four guests present.
Their walks were filmed and edited into the graduation footage, which included prerecorded speeches from Superintendent Frank Rodriguez, as well as the school principal, class valedictorian and salutatorian.
The number of guests was bumped from two to four after community complaints, including a petition to reconsider graduation with input from students that garnered more than 1,800 signatures, a Beaufort protest and a meeting between Rodriguez and student leaders.
When will graduation be held?
The school board unanimously approved last night’s change to graduation dates, which district officials recommended due to summer school and referendum construction project schedules.
Here’s when each high school’s ceremony will be held:
- Beaufort High School: June 14, 7 p.m.
- May River High School: June 15, 7 p.m.
- Whale Branch Early College High School: June 16, 7 p.m.
- Hilton Head Island High School: June 17, 7 p.m.
- Bluffton High School: June 18, 10 a.m.
- Battery Creek High School: June 18, 7 p.m.
If the ceremonies are rained out or delayed, the makeup dates are as follows:
June 23 is reserved as a makeup day if other makeup ceremonies are delayed.