COVID-19 shut down LECOM Park in Bradenton. It will reopen for Class of 2020 graduations
The School District of Manatee County has booked a new venue for its 2020 high school graduations, as cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Florida.
During a school board meeting on Tuesday evening, Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said most graduation ceremonies would take place at LECOM Park, home of the Bradenton Marauders and spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The district switched its venue from the Bradenton Area Convention Center, but the dates in late July and early August would remain, Saunders said. While announcing the change, she cited guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the need for social distancing.
“They have seats that are numbered, so we can easily give tickets out to parents, where they can cluster families together,” Saunders said.
“It still has covered areas so you’re not all out in the sun,” she continued. “We’re going to work out the protocols of how we bring in the graduates.”
Graduations were originally scheduled for dates in mid-May. However, shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that school campuses would remain closed, the district postponed its ceremonies by more than two months.
As of Tuesday evening, the superintendent said all ceremonies would continue as scheduled next month, though changes were always possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Manatee tried to balance safety and celebration.
According to a past announcement, the postponed graduations fall between July 28 and Aug. 1:
Manatee High School, July 28 from 8 to 10 p.m., at Hawkins Stadium.
Lakewood Ranch High School, July 29 from 7 to 9 p.m., at LECOM Park.
Palmetto High School, July 30 from 7 to 9 p.m., at LECOM Park.
Braden River High School, July 31 from 7 to 9 p.m., at LECOM Park.
Bayshore High School, Aug. 1 from 9 to 11 a.m., at LECOM Park.
Southeast High School, Aug. 1 from 1 to 3 p.m., at LECOM Park.
The only school with a different venue was Manatee High. A student garnered more than 2,000 signatures on a petition to hold the ceremony at Hawkins Stadium, continuing a school tradition.
Graduates will celebrate their achievement less than two weeks before thousands of students begin the 2020-2021 school year. Students’ first day is scheduled for Aug. 10, though it was unclear if Manatee would continue with a full or partial reopening of its campuses.
The school board will meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday to discuss reopening plans, and the district hopes to make a final decision by early July. Around the same time, schools will reach out to the Class of 2020 with final details on this year’s graduation.
“The schools will be reaching out to the graduates individually to give them all the details, I’m sure, right after the Fourth of July week,” Saunders said.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 7:17 AM.