The Texas Education Agency has issued guidance on how schools can hold graduation ceremonies as early as May 15 in some counties, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Texas schools are closed for classroom instruction for the remainder of the academic year. But on May 5 the Texas Education Agency announced four different options for schools to celebrate their graduating seniors:
- Completely virtual ceremonies that take place entirely online, with the use of videoconference or other technologies;
- Hybrid ceremonies, which consist of a compilation of videos of students being recognized in person as they celebrate graduation in small groups;
- Vehicle ceremonies, in which students and their families wait in their cars while other graduates are recognized one at time with their families alongside them;
- Outdoor in-person ceremonies, which are currently permitted for counties as follows:
- Between May 15 and May 31, 2020, an outdoor ceremony may take place in a rural county with five or fewer laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 tests for at least seven days prior to the ceremony (the county must file an attestation as described in the “Texans Helping Texans: The Governor’s Report to Open Texas”).
- An outdoor ceremony may take place in any Texas county on or after June 1.
TEA said in a press release, “Ensuring public health and safety remains the focus for all involved. TEA has shared detailed guidance on how to safely conduct these ceremonies, and each district is at liberty to determine if any of these options best serve the needs and desires of their community.”
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath remarked, “Graduation ceremonies mark a major milestone for students and their families. All educators are committed first and foremost to ensuring the health and safety of our students, families, and staff. By taking the necessary precautions developed by medical experts, we can ensure we appropriately honor our Class of 2020 graduates while keeping everyone safe.”
The full details of TEA’s graduation ceremony guidance can be found in the document available for download below:
