By Per Peterson
A second survey to determine how to handle graduation ceremonies for Tracy Area High School’s Class of 2020 will be sent out to parents of seniors.
With the future of the rest of the school year up in the air and pending a decision by the governor on whether or not schools can be re-opened on May 4, the District No. 2904 School Board went over the results of an initial survey, asking parents of seniors what they think should be done about commencement ceremonies.
Supt. Chad Anderson said the first survey sent out last week showed that 51% of the respondents (parents of seniors) want to keep graduation on May 24 — the original commencement date prior to schools closing during the COVID-19 outbreak. This would only happen if stay at home orders are lifted prior to graduation. If the stay at home order continues, a senior parade would take place from Central Park to the high school parking lot. Each family would be allowed one vehicle to park in the parking lot, and graduates will walk up on stage, have their name announced and receive their diploma. Anderson said split families would be allowed to have more than one vehicle in the parking lot.
Thirty-six percent — likely believing that school will not resume this spring — wished to simply skip the May 24 date and hold graduation on June 21, with the same parade option given if stay at home orders are still not lifted. Push graduation back to Aug. 2 garnered 13% of the votes of the 39 respondents. The results were as of 3 p.m. on Monday.
The second Google survey is aimed at narrowing the options even more: Hold graduation on May 24 and go the parade route that day if the students are not allowed to gather; or plan to hold graduation on May 24, but postpone it until June 21 if gatherings are not yet allowed. If gatherings are still not permitted at that time, the senior parade will be held that day.
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.