No Prom, Graduation To Be Determined: BCPS Superintendent

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Due to the new coronavirus, seniors in Baltimore County Public Schools will not have prom, Superintendent Darryl Williams announced this week. Citing the governor's stay-at-home order, Williams said the school system "must abide ... due to the health crisis."

Currently, people are not allowed to gather in groups of more than 10; all nonessential businesses have been closed; and Marylanders are only to leave home for essential jobs or essential errands to avoid spreading the virus.

Public schools in Maryland are closed at least through April 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic by order of the state superintendent.

"No final decisions have been made at this time" about commencement, Baltimore County Public Schools reported in a statement Saturday.

Williams said prom and "senior activities" were canceled, in a letter to the community Friday, which is published in full below. In addition to his role professionally, the superintendent said he was affected personally, since he is the father of a graduating senior.

"Just like you and your family, I, too, was looking forward to those culminating events, but due to the health crisis, all proms and senior activities are cancelled," Williams said. "Members of our school Board, your principals, and I share your disappointment about losing these special events, but we must abide by these executive orders by our governor.

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Here is the message from Dr. Williams to the class of 2020:

April 3, 2020
Dear Class of 2020,

These past few weeks, I have been thinking about you, and I know you did not anticipate that your senior year would include a Stay at Home executive order by our governor effective March 30. As a father of a graduating senior in high school and a graduating senior in college, this order and coronavirus have impacted my family as well.

Just like you and your family, I, too, was looking forward to those culminating events, but due to the health crisis, all proms and senior activities are cancelled. Members of our school Board, your principals, and I share your disappointment about losing these special events, but we must abide by these executive orders by our governor.

As we continue to monitor this pandemic and abide by the Baltimore County Health Department’s guidelines, our currently scheduled graduation ceremonies may also be impacted. We will continue to work with our school leadership regarding possible alternatives including virtual graduations, but no final decision has been made at this time.

We recognize that your senior year is a milestone in your educational journey and you worked hard to achieve this senior status. As I shared in an earlier correspondence, our continuity of learning plan cannot replace daily interactions with students and teachers; however, we will continue to work with our state superintendent to address these graduation requirements and request waivers and supports for our seniors. As you know, in order to receive a Maryland diploma, students must fulfill requirements including assessments and service learning hours. As soon as decisions have been made, we will work with your school principals and continue to provide updates.

I recognize that you may be experiencing many emotions with these changes and uncertainties.

Please continue to express yourself with a family member and a trusted loved one. As I mentioned on my first day, my goal is for every student to have at least one adult whom they can trust, and that adult may still be available through email and will probably want to hear from you. If you are worried about a friend or classmate, please notify your teacher, school counselor, or administrator.

Your teachers, administrators, and staff members are working hard to support you during this challenging time, and we are here to support you during these final months of your senior year.

Please be safe and continue to stay engaged in learning with your teachers and classmates. We all will get through this together.

Sincerely,
Darryl L. Williams, Ed.D.
Superintendent