Lake County Schools is changing its plans for graduation ceremonies, in light of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement that youth activities can move forward in Florida without restrictions.
DeSantis said local governments can put restrictions in place, but the state would not preempt them. “We trust parents to use common sense,” he added.
The district announced last week plans for ceremonies that would have kept spectators in their cars while graduates walked across a stage in their caps and gowns to receive diplomas and awards and have their photos taken. The idea was crafted in alignment with safety guidelines that recommended social distancing and advised against large gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Now, with new information from the governor and strong support from county leaders, the district is opting for more traditional ceremonies instead.
“We have always wanted to give our students a traditional graduation experience, but I had to work within the boundaries of the safety information we were given regarding large group gatherings,” Superintendent Diane Kornegay said. “Thanks to the governor lifting the restrictions, we can now give our students the experience we all want them to have.”
Shortly after the press conference, Kornegay met with leaders from the School Board, County Commission, Department of Health, Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Operations Center, all of whom said they would support a decision for traditional graduation ceremonies in Lake.
“I was so excited to learn that Gov. DeSantis is allowing local communities to decide how to handle high school graduation ceremonies,” said County Commission Chairman Leslie Campione. “Once we learned of this news we immediately convened a meeting between the School District, Health Department and the County’s Emergency Management Team to formulate a plan to accommodate traditional graduation ceremonies combined with safety protocols, including live-stream opportunities for vulnerable and high-risk family members. I’m so glad graduates and families will be able to celebrate this milestone together.”
The district will continue working with the county’s health department and other agencies to work out the details. The graduation dates are expected to stay the same, but locations will change to outdoor football stadiums, which may require capacity limits. Schools will work with district leaders to determine stadium capacity and how many guests will be allowed to attend. The district will maintain its plan to livestream the ceremonies so that physically vulnerable family members can watch from the safety of their homes.
Other questions have been raised about hand sanitizer stations, entry and exit protocols, and restroom cleanliness among other topics. Answers will be shared in the coming weeks. But the big question has been settled, much to the satisfaction of county leaders, students and families: Lake County’s Class of 2020 will have traditional graduation ceremonies surrounded by their loved ones.
“I’m just so happy we’re doing this,” Lake County Property Appraiser Carey Baker, a former state representative and graduate of Tavares High School in Lake, said during Friday’s meeting. “Everything we’re talking about doing here is very reasonable. The kids are going to be happy, parents are going to be happy… it’s all going to work out.”
