Prerecorded, Virtual Graduations Planned For CMS Seniors

CHARLOTTE, NC — This year's graduating seniors from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, forced to scrub traditional in-person ceremonies due to coronavirus social distancing mandates, will instead mark the occasion with prerecorded virtual graduation ceremonies and a drive-through ceremony to pick up diplomas, CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston said Tuesday.

The prerecorded graduation ceremonies will still include speeches by distinguished speakers, as well as school valedictorian, salutatorian and senior class representative, CMS said. Each graduate's name will be read along with the display of available photos.

"Students and families will be able to watch a virtual graduation prior to receiving their diplomas, which will be provided during a drive-through ceremony. A future school-based celebration will also be held for graduates," the school district said in a statement.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in North Carolina. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

"This is the first graduation that I'll oversee as superintendent and I wish with all my heart that it could be a traditional one," Winston said in a statement. "But the safety of our graduates, their families and our staff must come first. Unfortunately, it has been apparent since the COVID-19 pandemic began that we would not be able to celebrate the Class of 2020 in a traditional way."

The plan was put together by the CMS Graduation Task Force, which convened in March and was comprised of experts, parents, staff and graduating seniors.

The volume of students graduating in the school district was a concern, officials said. CMS said it has almost 10,000 graduation seniors, which would have also included about 102,000 guests for this year's ceremonies.

"A virtual graduation wasn't something that seniors wanted as a whole," Rocky River High School senior and task force member Dream Allen, said. "But being on the task force and being told all the safety measures and guidelines that must be followed, it made sense to everyone that a virtual graduation was the best option."

RELATED:

• 'Sustained Leveling' In Coronavirus Trends: NC Health Official
• 470 New Coronavirus Cases, 20 Deaths Reported In NC
• 'Need To Do More': More Than 1 Million Unemployment Claims In NC