Scurry County high school seniors will officially conclude their high school careers Friday with graduation ceremonies. While they may not be traditional ceremonies, Snyder, Hermleigh and Ira school officials and staff wanted to recognize graduating class members.
Snyder High School will hold a ceremony that blends tradition with new social distancing measures.
The Class of 2020 will have a parade through Towle Park starting at 7 p.m. Friday.
The parade will end at Tiger Stadium, where graduates will walk across a stage on the football field to receive their diplomas.
Each graduate will receive one parade pass, allowing one vehicle to join the parade. Vehicle decoration is allowed and encouraged.
Graduates and up to four guests must arrive and be parked in their assigned parking spots in the south parking lot with their parking pass displayed in the windshield by 6:45 p.m. All guests will ride in the vehicle with the graduate, and the valedictorian and salutatorian speeches, the class song, Snyder’s alma mater and the naming of graduates will be broadcast on radio and the school district’s Facebook page during the parade.
At the end of the parade, vehicles will enter the parking lot at the southwest corner of Tiger Stadium, where district staff will assist in lining up the graduates and their guests. A driver must remain in the vehicle and pick up the group at the northwest corner of the stadium. Guests will observe from a designated area on the track.
“We’ve been working feverishly to try to put together a graduation ceremony that is worthy of (the senior class’) accomplishments,” said Superintendent Dr. Eddie Bland. “There were a lot of logistics. It’s not exactly what we had hoped for, but we want it to be special.”
Hermleigh High School will hold a more traditional ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday in Cardinal Stadium.
Steps will be taken to ensure that social distancing guidelines are followed.
Attendance will be limited to 10 people per graduate, and groups will be seated six feet apart. Graduates will draw for seating in the bleachers and will need to specify the family members that will be sitting together. Graduating seniors will sit in chairs six feet apart on the track. The valedictorian and salutatorian will each make speeches.
School officials will wear gloves when handing out diplomas and a photographer will take photos of each graduate, which will be provided on a flash drive free of charge. Guests will not be allowed on the field for photos.
“I understand that this is not the graduation we all hoped for when the school year began,” Superintendent Cassie Petty said. “However, we feel that this plan will deliver as close to a normal graduation as we can under the current COVID-19 situation while still protecting our community.”
Ira High School will hold its Class of 2020 drive-in graduation at 8:15 p.m. Friday.
Guests are asked to park in one of the three parking lots at Ira High School by 8 p.m.
Students will begin the parade at 8:15 p.m.
Following the parade, a pre-recorded graduation video will be shown on three screens that will be set up on the parking lots. Guests may tune in to radio station 88.3 to listen.
“This has been such a different end to the school year,” said Ira Project Graduation Chairperson Stormy Shields. “Our seniors have missed out on so many traditions they have been looking forward to for so long, but Ira ISD wants to give these deserving students a special graduation night while keeping safe and enjoying time with their families.”