Updated Daily
“Districts and colleges or universities have to submit their graduation plans, made in consultation with their local law enforcement and health officials, to the state a minimum of seven days before the ceremony”
State Officials
| In-person Graduation | Drive-in graduation |
|---|---|
| They cannot be held before July 6. | They cannot be held before July 6. |
| They must meet the capacity limitation on in-person gatherings in place at the time of the ceremony. As of May 28, the limit is 25 people at outdoor gatherings. | “may be held in school parking lots, drive-in movie theaters, stadium parking lots, or other large parking lot venues that can be used exclusively for commencement ceremonies, and which provide sufficient space to accommodate event attendees arriving in their cars.” |
| Wearing face coverings is strongly encouraged, in accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, except where doing so would inhibit the person’s health or for a child under age 2. | Projection screens or sound equipment may be used to allow school staff to call student names, display photos or videos, and provide other audio-visual support. |
| Sick individuals should not attend. Districts and colleges should discourage attendance if a visitor or someone in their household is experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness or if they have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Schools should consider screening visitors upon arrival with non-contact thermometers and excluding any person with a temperature exceeding 100.4 degrees. | Accommodations should be made to allow students and families without vehicles to participate while observing proper social distancing protocol; |
| The ceremony must take place outdoors, and all attendees must remain outdoors at all times during the gathering, with the only exception being restroom use. | Weather conditions might affect attendees’ health, safety, and comfort, particularly if cars will need to be turned off during the ceremony; |
| Open-air rain tarps, tents, and other outdoor structures shall be allowed solely for protecting against foul weather or for shade. | If allowing access to restrooms, take appropriate measures to prevent congregation such as marking standing locations and assigning staff to monitor these areas, and consult with health officials on disinfection protocols; |
| All students, staff, and guests at the gathering are required to remain 6 feet apart from other attendees at all times, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners. | |
| All students, staff, and guests at the gathering are required to remain 6 feet apart from other attendees at all times, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners. | |
| Schools should consider class sizes and available spaces to determine the number of ceremonies needed. If conducting multiple ceremonies, follow the CDC’s and state Department of Health’s recommended cleaning protocols in between ceremonies. | |
| There should be limited contact between attendees, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners. That means no hugs, no handshakes. | |
| To limit person-to-person contact, districts should consider contact-less measures for providing students with diplomas and caps/gowns, such as mailing materials to students’ homes. Programs, maps, and other documents can be distributed electronically in advance of the ceremony or mailed to students and families. | |
| Sharing or exchanging materials of any kind poses an increased risk of transmission/spread of COVID-19 and should be avoided. That includes throwing graduation caps, “sign-in” practices, gifts, flowers, among other activities. | |
| If chairs and other equipment are provided, they should not be shared and should be sanitized before and after use. | |
| Students may walk across a stage or area and pose for a picture individually. | |
| Strongly encourage limiting the length of ceremonies to shorten the time the crowd is exposed to each other. | |
| Schools should limit speakers and ensure that individuals do not share microphones/ megaphones or other equipment that may pose a health risk. | |
| Schools should clearly communicate expectations and procedures regarding photography in order to limit crowding. They should consider using school staff to take photos and make them available to all families free of charge to minimize the need for families to gather around staged areas to take photos. | |
| If allowing access to restrooms, take appropriate measures to prevent congregation such as marking standing locations and assigning staff to monitor these areas and consult with health officials on disinfection protocols. | |
| Districts should assign staff to monitor entrances and exits to prevent the congregation. Consider staggering arrival times to ease crowds at entries. | |