CT Graduations To Be Allowed Starting July 6

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday that he will allow in-person graduation ceremonies beginning July 6. The announcement was made on Twitter shortly before Lamont’s daily news conference, which was held at Farmington High School.

Outdoor graduation ceremonies of up to 150 people will be allowed, said state Department of Education Commission Miguel Cardona.

“While we recognize it is far from what we want we must continue to follow guidance from our health experts to protect our students our families and our communities,” he said.

Cardona said that education and celebrating differences are more important than ever. People are battling both the coronavirus pandemic and racism at the same time.

“Both are hard to see at times but their effects can last a lifetime and be deadly. We will defeat both,” he said.

Lamont thanked school students and staff for trying to make the best out of a difficult situation.

"This graduation may not be the one you expected, but it is one you will never forget,” he said.

Lamont had previously said he was hopeful that ceremonies could be held at some point over the summer, but that the typical June dates were too soon due to the pandemic. The governor announced in May that students wouldn’t return to the classroom until the fall.

It will be up to the schools to decide how best to work within the limitations. Farmington High School will host a drive-by graduation where graduates and their families will park and wait in a vehicle to be called up to receive the diploma, said Kathleen Greider, superintendent of Farmington Public Schools. There will be live speeches and the ceremony will be livestreamed and broadcast on radio. School staff and students worked together to formulate the plan.

Derby High School will have 74 graduates; Derby Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Conway said that the district plans to have a ceremony on the football field as is customary, but is still working on the details.

Previously the state Department of Education had sent a memo to local superintendents suggesting graduates and families line up in cars in front of a stage. Students would then get out to receive their diplomas. However, the “drive-thru” graduation plans were rebuked by students and parents in some places; in Trumbull the superintendent of public schools announced that they would consider other alternatives after an online petition garnered more than 2,200 signatures.

Related: Saluting The Class Of 2020: Patch CT Virtual Yearbook

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