Coronavirus Jeopardizes Council Rock Graduation Ceremonies

NEWTOWN, PA — Graduation ceremonies for Council Rock students, as well as those across the state, remain in jeopardy due to the coronavirus outbreak that has shuttered school buildings through the academic year.

Officials with the Council Rock School District addressed the issue in a letter to parents this week, saying the prospect of conducting an in-person graduation ceremony on June 15 is "concerning."

Superintendent Robert Fraser said the district wants to "rightfully honor" graduating seniors amid the pandemic that has closed schools since March 13. Fraser said the planning has begun to address this issue safely.

"One of the foremost issues that we are all thinking long and hard about, and I know you are as well, is graduation," Fraser wrote in a letter to the high school communities.

School principals have begun reaching out to senior class representatives to discuss options, he noted. "We want to ensure that this celebration is genuinely meaningful and memorable," the letter said.

However, he noted, it must also be safe.

"As you know, we are in the midst of the worst health crisis our nation has experienced in over a century, and we cannot create a coronavirus breeding ground at our high school on June 15th at the expense of our graduating seniors and your families, including grandparents, aunts, and uncles who may be more vulnerable," he wrote.

Given that the models used by experts to predict case counts and potential deaths imply full social distancing through the end of May, "I'm hard pressed to see any realistic possibility of responsibly holding, or being permitted by the state to hold, a graduation ceremony with a couple thousand people sitting side by side a mere two weeks later."

Governor Tom Wolf, in a conference call with reporters Tuesday, addressed the issue of graduations, saying the ceremonies should follow social distancing guidelines.

Students will graduate, but how people celebrate the right of passage will be up to the districts in conjunction with the state's guidelines, he said. "Whatever (the districts) do, they better recognize that social distancing is going to be important," Wolf said.

The ceremonies must be planned "with a clear understanding that people are very concerned about their health."

Fraser said he cannot permit any activity that would put students or their families in harm's way. But, he noted, "let's absolutely work together to plan experiences that are meaningful and memorable to you, and for you."

The coronavirus outbreak has killed 584 Pennsylvanians since the first case was reported March 6. To date, Pennsylvania has confirmed 25,345 cases of the virus.

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