Central Regional Continuing Virtual Graduation, Weighing Options

BERKELEY, NJ — Governor Phil Murphy's announcement that New Jersey would allow live graduations starting July 6 gave a clearer picture of how seniors participate in traditions during an untraditional year. But Central Regional's superintendent says there are still "more questions than answers."

Central Regional will move forward with its virtual graduation, which will air at 6 p.m. June 17 on Channel 21 and get streamed on the school district's Facebook page. But the district will await further guidance from the state before completing any plans, said Superintendent Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides.

Parlapanides told Patch the following in an email:

"We will continue with our Virtual Graduation to make sure we have something. I have planned and organized over six events only to be told I can't do them because of restrictions. So until I am told the specifics, I am not too excited. How many people can attend 25? 50? 250? How big can the crowd be? There are more questions than answers. The school year ends on June 30th of each year. The Governor is also giving districts their State Aid cuts in two weeks. So what programs will be cut? How many teachers if any will be cut? This now changes the entire schedule. What is the liability? Need advice from our School Board attorney. If someone gets sick even though we followed all the guidelines are we getting sued? July is a busy month for school districts. So we will complete our Virtual Graduation to the best of our abilities and wait until all the guidelines have been given so we can figure it out."

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

Murphy announced Tuesday that New Jersey school districts could hold outdoor graduation ceremonies beginning July 6. The governor said ceremonies must "comply with social distancing — ensuring the health and safety of all in attendance." Read more: NJ To Allow Live Graduations Starting In July, Gov. Murphy Says

The order permitting outdoor graduation ceremonies applies to middle school and high school graduations, as well as colleges/universities, a news release from Murphy's office said Tuesday. Officials said the state Department of Education and the Secretary of Higher Education would release guidance on Wednesday.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Berkeley Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.