2021 School Graduations

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Created on Friday, 07 May 2021 21:39

Written by Nick Fish

The end of the school year is upon us, and many local high schools are gearing up for their end of the year celebrations.
"Both graduations and end of school year celebrations, including proms, will be permitted," Said Dan French Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Education during the Scott administration's bi weekly press conference.

Many local high schools are starting to announce their 2021 graduation plans. Lyndon Institute plans to hold their graduation on the football field on June 6th. Lyndon Institute says each graduate will be given four tickets and seating will be grouped by individual families. St. Johnsbury Academy's graduation will be held on the football field on monday June 7th. A detailed schedule for the event is yet to come out from St. Johnsbury Academy. Danville plans to have their graduation the following weekend on june 12th.

This is an exciting time for many high school graduates especially after such a challenging school year. Mike Lowe Assistant Head of Advancement at Lyndon Institute says he is excited the seniors get the graduation they deserve, "to get to come together as a class, and celebrate and have at least some members of their family there to see them graduate, it's huge."

High school graduation guidelines will follow the Vermont forward plan. Starting June first, indoor events can have one unvaccinated person per 50 square feet with a maximum capacity of 300 unvaccinated people and any number of vaccinated people. Outdoor events are limited to 900 unvaccinated people and any number of fully vaccinated people.

French is encouraging many schools across the state to hold end of the year celebrations this year. "These celebrations are not only being permitted this year but also being strongly encouraged. This has been a long year for our students and our schools and we want to do whatever we can to ensure the school year ends in a safe and celebratory way." Governor Phil Scott ensured parents a normal graduation is what their students deserve. "We're trying to find a path forward so that they can have a somewhat normal graduation."

Schools will likely ask attendees about their vaccination status prior to the event so they can then determine capacity. In addition, masks are allowed to be taken off when giving speeches and accepting diplomas under the guidelines. Schools will be announcing official graduation schedules in the coming weeks.