WCPS releases graduation plan; continues devising fall school-start plan

Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Superintendent Chris Ballenger today released the school district’s new plan for graduating the Class of 2020, setting Warren County High School graduation ceremony for Friday, July 31, and graduation at Skyline High School for Saturday, August 1.

“We are trying to do the best thing we can for our students. It’s very difficult to make these decisions during this time,” Ballenger told the Royal Examiner, referring to constraints resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ballenger pointed out that one of the school system’s many responsibilities is to protect the health and safety of its students, families, and staff while hosting a successful commencement ceremony, a situation that this year faces significant challenges due to COVID-19.

“As a community, we must face these challenges together by taking the individual steps necessary to keep ourselves and the people around us safe,” Ballenger said. “It is important to continue to follow the public health mitigation strategies set forth by the Virginia Department of Health to protect our graduates and their families.”

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on July 6 moved the state from Phase II to Phase III in the Commonwealth’s pandemic strategy, which includes additional mandatory guidelines for schools, including those that cap gathering limits to 250 persons if all other physical distancing measures are observed.

“Unfortunately, at this time, larger gatherings, as is customary with graduation ceremonies, are not permitted,” Ballenger writes in a statement released today.

In May, WCPS surveyed students to determine their graduation preferences. But that was when the state’s Phase I and Phase II gatherings were limited to 10 and 50 people, respectively, and a WCPS decision regarding graduation had to wait until Phase III gathering limits were released.

And the Phase III limits, Ballenger said, “have greatly affected the opportunity to have a traditional graduation” as most students favored.

Thus, Warren County High School 2020 graduates will walk on Friday, July 31 at 8 a.m. (for graduates with last names starting A through K) and at 10 a.m. (for grads with last names starting with L – Z).

Likewise, Skyline High School’s graduation on Saturday, August 1 will be held at 8 a.m. (for graduates with last names starting A – K) and at 10 a.m. (for grads with last names starting with L – Z).

All ceremonies will be live-streamed on YouTube for those who are unable to attend, according to WCPS.

These will not be drive-through graduation ceremonies, as some residents thought was the case when they posted concerns in numerous Facebook comments during the last week.

Instead, the graduation plan calls for drive-in ceremonies that allow graduates to walk across the stage, be recognized, and receive a diploma, while family members gather nearby.

“We understand how important the commencement ceremony is to our graduates and their families,” Ballenger said. “While these circumstances are unique, we have developed a celebration that recognizes each graduate while adhering to the required guidelines.”

WCPS staff will start directing cars at 7 a.m. for the 8 a.m. ceremonies. Parking is NOT first-come, first-serve. Each car will be directed to a designated parking spot. Instructions for parking for the 10 a.m. ceremonies will be given to students when they pick up their parking tickets at their high schools.

Each graduate will be given two numbered car admission tickets with his or her full name as it appears on the diploma. One ticket is required for each vehicle, according to WCPS, which said tickets must be presented for admittance. Tickets only will be issued once all senior responsibilities have been met.

Tickets must be picked up at both high schools in their main offices next week: On Wednesday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; on Thursday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and on Friday, July 24 during the same times.

In addition, graduates will receive a keepsake ticket for diploma presentation with their first and last names. Graduates must carry their tickets with them to receive their diplomas on stage.

Here are the drive-in ceremony procedures at both high schools:

1.) Two standard-sized vehicles, including the graduate, will be admitted into the parking lots at each school at the same time and will park together, as directed by local law enforcement or a WCPS faculty member. All persons must be seated inside the vehicle when entering the school campus. It is expected that all vehicles will remain for the duration of each ceremony.

2.) Graduates and their vehicles will be lined up in the parking lots closest to the football stadium and directions will be provided when the vehicles arrive at the scene.

3.) After opening remarks and speeches, graduates will begin to receive their diplomas. Working from the far side of the parking lot, the row attendants will signal for the first five graduates in the row to exit their cars and proceed to the stage in a single file to receive their diplomas.

4.) Graduates and their families will be directed by a faculty member on when to exit their vehicles to line up to receive their diplomas. There will be a designated area in front of the stage reserved for picture taking. Family members should enter and exit this area as their graduate enters and exits the staging area. Two professional photographers also will be on-site at the ceremonies, taking pictures of each graduating senior as the diploma is received. Their pictures will be available for viewing and for purchase at a designated site during the ceremonies.

5.) Upon receiving their diplomas, both graduates and families then will return to their respective vehicles.

6.) Once all graduates have received their diplomas and returned to their cars, the official ‘turning of the tassels’ will commence.

7.) Following the ceremony, the parking lot attendants will release rows of parking. Vehicles will exit the Warren County High School parking lot and turn RIGHT onto Westminster Drive and then proceed to John Marshall Highway. Visitors leaving the Skyline High School parking lot will exit near the Northwestern building.

WCPS also released standards and expectations for social distancing during the ceremony. These include that all attendees must remain in their vehicles or stand in between their two cars throughout the ceremony. An attendant will approach the vehicles to direct the graduate and families to walk up to the stage to receive the diploma.

Additionally, all administrators, faculty, and staff will be following CDC guidelines and will be wearing face masks, as well as adhering to the six-feet rule for safe social distancing, according to WCPS, which said that guests are encouraged to wear face coverings, as well.

Graduates will not shake hands with administrators at the presentation of the diploma, according to the WCPS standards and guidelines.

And spectators, other than those admitted in vehicles, are not permitted on school grounds, WCPS said.

Full details for the 2020 WCPS Graduation Ceremony are available online HERE.

Regarding the start of school for the school year 2020-2021, Ballenger said that WCPS staff will discuss plans during the Warren County School Board’s July 22 special meeting. The meeting will be held in the Diversified Minds Meeting Room located at 465 West 15th Street in Front Royal beginning at 5:00 p.m.

“We have multiple options that we will be discussing,” he told the Royal Examiner. “My goal is to provide information to the community by next Friday,” July 24.