High school graduations postponed in Manatee County amid COVID-19 concerns
Public high school graduations in Manatee County, originally scheduled between May 13 to 16, have been postponed by more than two months, a spokesman said.
The school district held its original dates until Saturday, when Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Florida would continue online learning and keep physical campuses shuttered, said Mike Barber, the school district spokesman.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Manatee schools made the switch to digital learning more than three weeks ago. All athletic events were canceled, and most employees worked from home, while others wore masks and avoided large groups in the workplace, Barber said.
COVID-19 forced students and staff to change their everyday routine. Some maintained hope that graduation would continue, but the district needed a back-up plan, so it reserved time at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.
It reserved the space between July 29 and Aug. 1, the likely dates for Manatee County’s postponed graduations.
“That’s the furthest we could push it out without getting into the start of the new school year,” Barber said.
“Nothing is definite,” he continued. “With the whole coronavirus thing, there’s always a little uncertainty involved, but we’ve reserved those dates for the school district to hold graduation if necessary.”
The first graduation was scheduled for May 13, in about three weeks, and a traditional ceremony would contradict the advice of health experts, who warned against large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of students and families attend the yearly ceremonies, shaking hands and sharing hugs.
“Under these circumstances, it’s hard to imagine how we could do that,” Barber said.
District principals, he said, were brainstorming ways to celebrate graduates and follow health guidelines in the near future. While there were no plans on Tuesday, area colleges offered a glimpse of the possibilities.
Colleges make new plans for graduation
State College of Florida recently announced a virtual ceremony for spring graduates. Family and friends will call or text congratulatory messages during the live broadcast, and viewers on Facebook Live will have the ability to comment.
Spring graduates will also have the option to attend an in-person ceremony in December, according to the SCF website.
In a similar fashion, the University of South Florida will recognize thousands of graduates during a virtual ceremony in May. The program will include an address by university President Steven Currall and the student body president for each campus.
Graduates names’ will appear on the screen, and students will have the option to attend an in-person ceremony in August, though future ceremonies will depend on the advice of health officials, according to a news release.
“I understand why it was pushed back and I understand what is happening right now,” said Shaylien Gonzalez, a senior at Braden River High School.
“It’s OK, but it still hurts because it’s something me and my friends have been looking forward to for so long.”
Grad Bash, a gathering of students from Manatee and surrounding counties, was also canceled. Students visit Universal Studios for the yearly event, “a once-in-a-lifetime, rite-of-passage celebration” for graduating seniors, according to the park’s website.
Naturally, Gonzalez was disappointed with the loss of Grad Bash and next month’s graduation ceremony.
Gonzalez, a dual-enrollment student, planned to earn her associate’s degree from SCF by December and then transfer to USF for a degree in communications. She also hoped to find time for her rescheduled high school graduation.
“We worked so hard to get where we are, and now we have to wait even longer to get our diploma that we’ve been waiting for since kindergarten,” she said.
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 2:59 PM.