Major Graduation Event Canceled For Beverly Hills High

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Beverly Hills High School has canceled its June 4 Diploma Drive, which would have allowed graduating seniors to drive to the school and pose for a professional photo in their cap and gown six feet away from BHHS Principal Mark Mead.

The school was forced to cancel the drive after a May 14 joint statement from Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer and Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Debra Duardo said that the event would violate the Safer at Home Order.

“The Order does not allow any exemptions for graduation gatherings of any type in order to limit the spread of COVID-19,” the letter read. “This means all in-person graduation ceremonies, including use of cars for drive-in graduations (even if one student at a time) are considering public gatherings and are therefore prohibited.”

“The news is heartbreaking; however, we must comply with this order,” Principal Mark Mead wrote in an email to students and parents.

Mead said that while the Diploma Drive is canceled, the school will continue with the planned virtual ceremony on June 4, but vowed that he will “continue to do all in our power to make the June 4 graduation week as special as we can.” Mead even floated the idea that he and Beverly Hills Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy would travel to every willing student’s house and personally hand them a diploma and take a socially-distanced photo with them, though no such plan has been formally announced.

The school, the district, the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), and the Associated Student Body (ASB) have still been able to sponsor different events to celebrate the Class of 2020. In past weeks, the PTSA has sponsored Class of 2020 yard signs and helped seniors decorate their doors. On Monday, May 18, seniors can participate in a Pennant Party where they design their college pennant, play trivia, and win giveaways. On June 2, there will be a virtual Senior Awards ceremony, and on June 3, the ASB sponsored a Senior Sunset with a guest speaker. Seniors are also encouraged to submit short videos of themselves that will be featured in a graduation video.

“Once again we will experience the pain of another loss for our seniors, but, as always, we will continue to work together as a Norman family to support one another and find success where obstacles present themselves,” Mead said.