HISD graduations going virtual; no in-person events
Superintendent’s announcement draws some complaints from seniors as other local districts opt to have outdoor events
Scarborough High School senior Anaiya Jackson expected to cross the graduation stage this spring, carrying the memory of her beloved grandmother.
In the years before her sudden death in January, Sandra Marlin had become inseparable from her granddaughter. They lived in adjoining rooms, did math homework together, went to the nail salon together. When Jackson’s mother and father wouldn’t pony up for gas money or pocket change, Marlin would host a secret “business meeting” with her granddaughter, doling out a few bills.
“I just know I would have had a whole new sense of joy walking across that stage,” Jackson said. “This would have felt like accomplishment to me, and I would have done it for her.”
Barring an unexpected change, Jackson and her fellow Houston ISD seniors never will make that graduation stage stroll, with district officials announcing that all commencement ceremonies will take place virtually this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Deciding that all high school graduations for our 11,000 seniors will take place virtually has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever confronted as the district leader,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said in a statement Tuesday. “However, I am so proud of the accomplishments of the historic Class of 2020 and the strength they have shown through this unique challenge.”
Lathan’s decision, first announced in a message to families late Monday, comes as districts throughout the state grapple with how to balance honoring seniors and reducing the spread of COVID-19, which has caused the shutdown of campuses dating back to mid-March.
Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing districts to host in-person ceremonies at outdoor venues starting in late May, as well as commencement events primarily held in vehicles. Indoor commencement events, how
ever, remain indefinitely banned.
Houston and Dallas ISDs, the state’s two largest districts, announced this week that they will not hold in-person ceremonies. Both districts plan to host virtual commencements, with HISD’s events scheduled to go live on June 14.
By contrast, numerous Texas districts said in the past several days that they will host in-person graduation events, often using high school football or professional sports stadiums. They include Cy-Fair ISD and Fort Worth ISD, the state’s third- and fifthlargest districts, respectively, as well as Humble, Spring and Spring Branch ISDs.
Lathan’s announcement drew complaints from some HISD seniors and families, who expressed disappointment at missing a seminal moment and frustration that neighboring districts could pull off outdoor events.
For Anthony Garcia, the virtual ceremony will pale in comparison to the joy of watching his eldest son, John, receive a diploma from Heights High School. The father of four said John should be rewarded for his academic and extracurricular accomplishments — making the National Honor Society, playing basketball for four years, participating in the How To Be A Man club — with the satisfaction of walking the graduation stage.
“I’m still hopeful, and I wish they would change their mind,” Garcia said. “I believe that if enough parents speak up and say what they think would be a good idea for our children, there’s a way HISD can change it, can work with us.”
Joshua Rassin, a senior at HISD’s Lamar High School, said he had remained optimistic prior to Lathan’s decision that his classmates would get a traditional ceremony. The switch to outdoor events in Cy-Fair, where his aunt teaches and his cousin is a senior, gave him hope.
“The virtual graduation is definitely a big letdown, knowing I won’t get to be there with my family,” Rassin said. “I’ll definitely watch it, since it’s all we have now. My whole family will probably be at my house. Knowing my family, they’ll probably find a way to put it on the biggest TV we can find.”
HISD officials did not respond Tuesday to an interview request or provide any written responses about the calculus that went into nixing in-person ceremonies.
Notably, Houston and Dallas ISDs were scheduled to host significantly more ceremonies — 45 and 37, respectively — than any other Texas districts, a product of their largest-in-Texas enrollments and wealth of smaller specialized high schools. By contrast, Cy-Fair ISD plans to hold 12 outdoor commencement events.
Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said district officials did not think that they could safely execute 37 graduation events, even after considering large outdoor locations, such as
Globe Life Park in Arlington and the Cotton Bowl, the Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday.
HISD still plans to participate in a citywide, outdoor event honoring seniors on June 5, with program details still to be announced. Students are invited to return to their campuses in their caps and gowns, though family members cannot attend and diplomas will not be awarded.
For the virtual graduation, HISD plans to show recorded messages from district officials, as well as audio of each student’s name voiced as a personalized slide is displayed.
The pomp will pale in comparison, though, to the moment Anaiya Jackson had planned in her mind. She does not plan to attend the citywide celebration and feels little enthusiasm for the final event.
“It’s kind of heartbreaking,” she said. “Because who wants to do a virtual graduation?”