Northern Lehigh High School seniors awaiting their big day now have a target date. Now, the only thing left to determine is whether the district’s graduation will be an in-person ceremony or a virtual graduation.

Superintendent Matthew J. Link announced that the district has targeted July 24 for an in-person graduation ceremony with certain restrictions in place, provided it’s allowed per government guidelines.

If an in-person graduation isn’t possible, the district will have a virtual graduation on the same day, Link said.

High school Principal Robert Vlasaty said the goal is to try to have as traditional of a graduation ceremony as possible at Bulldog Stadium in Slatington.

“Even if we go green, based off what green looks like, if the stipulations are adjusted, we are planning on still practicing social distancing,” Vlasaty said. “We would be adjusting that and moving the stage to the south end zone underneath the scoreboard and utilizing both the home and away stands.”

However, Vlasaty added that the district would probably still have to limit the seniors to nuclear family tickets to four or five at most.

“We would space out the families about 10 feet, space the graduate out accordingly,” he said. “We could easily fit everybody there.”

Vlasaty said the district surveyed the students, staff and community (including the seniors’ parents) and asked what they would like to see.

“We had over 75 percent of all three groups say they wanted a traditional service and they wanted to have it in July,” he said. “We listened to our stakeholders.”

If the regulations aren’t lifted, Vlasaty said the district has a backup plan.

While one of the popular options would be to do a virtual graduation and put it on the screen at Becky’s Drive-In, he said “we don’t feel like we’d be able to do that” due to what would amount to over 500 people at the site.

If the district has a moving procession, Vlasaty said it would start in Slatington and go through Walnutport, then loop back around and come up Center Street by Northern Lehigh Middle School, where it would make a left onto Snyder Avenue and do the distribution right in front of Northern Lehigh High School, where he said the district’s photographer would take photos of all the graduates.

“We’re currently applying for permits right now; we’re waiting to hear back if we’re approved,” he said. “While we would be going through the parade, we would be streaming a virtual graduation ceremony via Zoom.”

At present, Vlasaty said the district is collecting slides that students are sending with their pictures and what their graduation plans are, while parents are sending words of well wishes.

In addition, he said they are also going to be collecting videotaped speeches for all its speakers.

“We’re going to do everything we can to promote the most traditional ceremony possible virtually, and if the parade is approved, students will be able to decorate their cars and have their parents with them,” he said. “For those students who do not have cars or transportation, we’ll work with Brandywine (Transportation).”

Vlasaty noted that the class officers have been great to work with, and said the plan is to hold the senior farewell either in July, or if not then in December, and possibly recognize the Class of 2020 during homecoming.

“There has been some criticism that we haven’t put this out earlier. We wanted to make sure we had something out there that was legit rather than changing it,” he said.

Vlasaty said 106 students are expected to graduate.

“We’re also preparing for a last-minute change,” he said, adding that yet another plan would be an all-virtual graduation and mail home the diplomas. “Nobody really wants that.”

More than anything, Vlasaty said the district wants the seniors to be able to enjoy their moment as best as they possibly can.

“We want to see our seniors,” he said. “We want to say congratulations, we want to say goodbye, and we want to say ‘Have a Bulldog Day.’?”

Blue Ridge TV13 will broadcast the graduation ceremony live.