Schools around the area are setting the finish line for online learning and the 2019-20 school year. Lehighton Area School District joined the list Monday night when its board of directors approved June 5 as the final day for students.

That will also serve as graduation day for Lehighton Area High School’s seniors, and while there is no doubt that feat will be celebrated, the format and setting for which that takes place is still up in the air.

“Students will be graduating on June 5,” Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said. “What that looks like yet, we don’t know, but we will be following whatever the Centers for Disease Control guidelines are at that point. The Class of 2020 will be recognized on that date, however, that is for certain.”

The graduation date, and final day for students, passed by a 7-0 board vote, but drew questions from Director David Bradley, who told his colleagues he saw it as premature to lock in a day on the calendar while the COVID-19 long-term outlook is still unclear.

“Why not cancel that now and not incur any costs,” Bradley said of graduation.

“The district is broke and we have no understanding that this is going to be able to take place at that point. Why kid ourselves?”

Bradley’s comments were quickly countered.

“These students deserve something after 13 years,” board member Wayne Wentz said. “They have worked for it and they deserve it.”

Two Lehighton seniors, Noah Wolverton and Madison Whiteman, started an online petition calling for a traditional graduation ceremony.

“The Class of 2020 doesn’t care how long we have to wait,” the students said. “Although some students made prior commitments such as serving for our country, we can make them feel included as well. We hope that this will help our school board and administration make a rational decision that will be in our favor.”

In under 12 hours, the petition had 471 signatures, almost reaching its goal of 500.

Cleaver said updates as plans develop for graduation will be released on the district’s social media channels and its website.

The high school’s annual academic awards and scholarship recipients will be announced virtually. The Top 10 percent of students, normally honored at a banquet, will be recognized on social media and the district’s website.

“Lehighton Area High School now has an Instagram page where it is featuring members of the Class of 2020 and their post-graduation plans,” Cleaver said. “Our Lehighton athletics Twitter page has also been featuring our spring athletes.”