Frederick County schools planning in-person, outdoor graduation ceremonies

Public schools in Frederick County, Maryland, are the latest in the region to announce plans for in-person graduation ceremonies this spring.

Each high school’s graduating seniors will be honored outdoors at their home stadium.

The school district said all COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maryland Department of Health, and Frederick County Health Department will be followed.

Graduates will be allowed to invite two guests, and ceremonies will be livestreamed, as well as posted on YouTube for later viewing.

Groups of people from the same household will be physically distanced from other groups, and hand sanitizing stations will be set up around each stadium.

Most ceremonies have been scheduled for midmorning, so that temperatures will be cooler. The school district said a backup plan, in case of rain or other bad weather, is still being worked out and will be announced later.

Also, on the day a school hosts a graduation, asynchronous learning will be scheduled for other students at the school, so staff can attend the ceremony and more parking will be available to visitors.

“I am looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2021 at ceremonies later this spring,” Schools Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban said in a statement. “Graduating seniors should be proud of their accomplishments, especially as we persevered through a health crisis that affected our community in so many ways.”

You can find the graduation schedule on the Frederick County Public Schools website.


More Coronavirus news

Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.


Michelle Basch

Michelle Basch is a reporter turned morning anchor at WTOP News.

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