High school graduation planned for July 17

SILOAM SPRINGS — Siloam Springs High School has set July 17 as the tentative date for the 2020 graduation ceremony.

Commencement will be at 8 p.m. in Panther Stadium, Principal Rob Lindley and Assistant Principal Ross White announced Friday. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be at 9 a.m. July 18 in the Panther Activity Center, the announcement states.

The graduation ceremony will be a limited attendance event and more information will be shared regarding attendance numbers when the state releases guidelines for graduations, it states.

Lindley said the school wanted to get the information out so community members have time to plan for the event, but he noted plans may or may not change, depending on the governor’s decisions. School administrators want to have a traditional graduation if at all possible, but if the state makes changes, then the school will adjust to a virtual graduation, he said.

“The promise is we will have some graduation whether it be traditional or virtual,” Lindley said.

On April 25, Johnny Key, state education secretary, asked Arkansas public schools not to plan traditional graduation ceremonies until at least July 1. Schools were allowed to begin submitting proposals last week for nontraditional celebrations to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval, he said.

The high school is planning a curbside drop-off and pickup for seniors on May 6 so students can pick up their caps and gowns, yearbooks and graduation cords, and drop-off their school-issued Chromebooks, uniforms, and library and text books, according to Friday’s announcement. Parents and seniors will be asked to stay in the car at all times during the event, it states.

Project Graduation will have a balloon arch for seniors to drive through with a photographer, the announcement states.

Additional information and updates are available on the school website, siloam schools.com, and social media sites.