The new tentative date for the 2020 Tamaqua Area High School graduation ceremony is June 5. The decision to push back commencement was made during Tuesday’s Tamaqua Area School Board committee meeting.

“This class of 2020 has been through a great deal,” said Tamaqua Superintendent Ray Kinder. “It is a shame with everything that’s going on that we’re not going to be able to in some way, shape, or form give them everything that they deserve. What they deserve is to have a normal ceremony and senior year like every other class has experienced. Not only those specific events, but there is something about the last two months of your senior year prior to graduation that are special.”

Options

Kinder revealed a few different graduation options that the district is considering.

A first possibility is a virtual graduation. “In the last two weeks we have probably gotten five or six emails from the state changing guidance related specifically to graduation ceremonies and requirements,” said Kinder. “It’s very difficult for me to say this is what it is, and this is what it will be when within the next 48 hours, someone is probably going to give me some information that’s going to change that.”

Another option that could be done while under the yellow or green phase is an individual recording.

A third proposal under yellow or green would be a parking lot/vehicle ceremony. Kinder said students and two family members would remain in their vehicles in designated spaces in the middle school parking lot. When their name is called, the student (at a safe distance) could step outside briefly to be acknowledged and then return to the vehicle.

“It is something that has received a head nod from people in the state to happen in a yellow phase,” Kinder said. “That’s why it’s a consideration if we were to hit the yellow phase.”

The fourth option, which could be done only under the green phase with the state’s current guidelines, would be to have a social-distant graduation on the school’s football field - which would allow each student to bring two guests who would be spread out on both bleachers.

“On every 5-yard line going across, and five yards between the width of the field, there would be a student chair. … It spreads everybody out on the field to provide well over 6 feet of distance - 5 yards between everybody on the field. We have come up with a general procedure that would be in place - ways to enter to maintain social distancing and exiting with your guests - the only people you would leave with would be the people you brought.”

Kinder said this proposal was sent to the state well over a week ago and the district has not received any feedback yet.

Unknown factors

“Most of these options can’t take place as long as an area is in the red phase,” Kinder said. “You’re only allowed to travel for life-sustaining or essential reasons. While I personally believe that we could do this safely and successfully, we do not have the authority given to us from the department of health, PDE as well as the governor’s office to be able to do this. … We’re looking for feedback and we continue to seek it on a regular daily basis in trying to get some sort of acknowledgment of it.”

However, without knowing what phase Schuylkill County will be in on a given date, it’s difficult to plan ahead. The proposal of prerecording each senior separately, walking across the football field under the yellow or green phase, would take more than a day or two to orchestrate. Each student would need to be recorded on the field at a separate time and constructing the video would take longer.

“You would put it together using a technology program into essentially a movie,” Kinder said. “You would announce a date for the graduation ceremony and people tune in to watch. But it’s not interactive on that day and there’s no interaction during it. There are pros and cons to all of these.”

Kinder also said it’s possible to use a combination of these options to honor the seniors. The Tamaqua students and families will be notified of the date change on Wednesday. The district plans to send out a survey to discuss graduation options and preferences in the near future.

The awards presentation is still slated for Friday. Kinder said that families and students will be notified when the recorded awards ceremony will be available online. Tamaqua’s last day of school is May 29.