Wayne High School Graduations Set For Wednesday

WAYNE, NJ — After in-person graduations were canceled, rescheduled, then canceled again, Wayne Valley and Wayne Hills High School seniors will finally have the chance to participate in a traditional graduation ceremony.

The Board of Education originally scheduled graduation ceremonies for both high schools on July 30, but Superintendent Mark Toback confirmed in an email to Patch today that the graduation ceremonies have been moved up to July 8.

Scheduled for 10 a.m., the graduations will be hosted on the athletic fields of the respective high schools.

According to Toback, state guidelines on attendance — 500 people limit — will restrict the school to hold the ceremony for just the student body, given the size of the 2020 graduating classes, which include over 300 students.

The ceremonies will be livestreamed, but details are still being worked out as to where the stream will be hosted.

After the ceremony, a socially distanced barbecue lunch will be held for students, according to Toback.

These graduations follow a month of oddity as the graduating class of 2020 watched on as Mayor Christopher Vergano scheduled a township-facilitated graduation, which was then canceled via lawsuit when he was sued by Gov. Phil Murphy.

The lawsuit and a subsequent ruling by a Mercer County Superior Court Judge, put a halt on the scheduled in-person graduations, but Wayne Valley seniors took it upon themselves to host a ceremony in spite of the ruling.

Virtual graduations were also livestreamed for each of the high schools, via their respective YouTube channels.