Over a month after the district had originally planned 2020 commencement, they hope to hold the much wished for ceremony. The plan is to hold commencement Saturday, June 27 at the football field in Clarion at 6 p.m.
Even before commencement had to be cancelled for its planned May 17 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows school officials were already at work planning. Both parents and seniors were eager to hold some version of a traditional graduation ceremony. This would not be a small feat.
At a special meeting of the C-G-D Board of Education held last Thursday, Superintendent Dr. Bob Olson and technology coordinator Kevin Katz explained the proposed plan for commencement. It will be held Saturday evening, June 27, at the football field to allow for plenty of social distancing space. Olson and Katz presented the board with the detailed schematic showing the layout of the footfall field.
The graduates will be spaced out on the east side of the field and process in to sit in front of a stage also on the east side of the field. When seated, the seniors will be spaced out to maintain social distancing. When they receive their diplomas, they will go up to the stage one at a time. They won’t come into contact with anyone while on stage and will not shake hands.
Families and other spectators will be seated in “pods” throughout the field. These pods will be marked off spaces on the field that are reserved for groups. Olson explained that the pods will be for groups of 10 or less that share a household. He added that they are still working on numbers for attendance.
Other safety measures include having masks and water available for the seniors. The plan also provides water for spectators who will be asked to bring their own lawn chairs to sit on. There is also a detailed plan for dropping off and leaving the area, so groups don’t come into close contact with each other.
While some may argue the plan for commencement seems overly cautious, this level of planning is necessary to satisfy state guidelines. For a few weeks, even this plan was not going be possible given bans of gatherings, but when the governor announced that gatherings will be allowed starting June 1, that gave the district an opening. The plan was also presented to the Wright County Board of Health and the Governor’s office.
Olson was hopeful that all would go well. “I feel really good about this plan. Parents were really wanting this, so I think they will do everything they can to follow the guidelines.” Superintendent-elect Joe Nelson also complimented the plan, adding that he hasn’t seen anything as well-thought out in the central part of the state where he is still working currently.
The district is also leaving room for additional developments. Olson noted that there are two plans designed to address health conditions in Wright County at the time of the ceremony. The most desired plan allows for the largest number of spectators. However, if Wright County instances of COVID-19 fails to trend downward, a more restrictive plan may be necessary that will allow for a smaller number of spectators. This decision will be made in cooperation with the board of education and Wright County Department of Public Health.
In the event it is raining on Saturday, commencement will be held the next day, Sunday, June 28 at 6 p.m.
