Parents eye grad ceremony outdoors

Petition to Lamont calls for graduations with strict protocols

As the end of the school year nears, parents are circulating a petition asking Gov. Ned Lamont to allow a unified day of outdoor graduation ceremonies next month with strict safety protocols in place to protect against COVID-19 infections.

While decisions on how high school graduations will be held — if at all — are likely to be made by local school districts, parents are pushing for Lamont to allow for in-person ceremonies as students continue weeks of at-home learning brought on by the virus.

“Our graduating seniors would normally now be participating in events that would create life long memories for them, but we all know, that is not possible,” a letter from the organization CT High School Class of 2020 reads. “These amazing young adults have all worked hard to achieve the ultimate goal of high school graduation, one of the most meaningful events in their lifetime.”

The letter, signed by the families of the soon-to-be graduates, asks Lamont to lift his ban on large gatherings for five hours so outdoor graduations can be held across the state. The effort is being led by parents, not school districts.

During his daily press briefing Monday, Lamont called the idea “ingenious” when he was asked about the petition. He told reporters that he would look into it.

The petition had amassed more than 1,500 signatures as of Thursday afternoon and outlines specific protocols graduates and their families would agree to follow if the events are allowed.

Among the safety efforts were a limit

on the number of people allowed to attend, a commitment to everyone wearing masks, temperature checks at the entrance, social distancing and hand sanitizing.

The graduations would be held on June 22 with rain dates later that week. The organizers of the petition proposed that all events be held outdoors on athletic fields or large municipal spaces.

Schools remain closed until at least May 20, but Lamont has hinted in several interviews that they likely will stay closed through the end of the school year in June.

“We are confident that each town has the ability and facilities to hold this event,” the parents’ letter reads. “Parents and guardians are ready, willing and able to plan and staff each graduation to take the stress and strain off of local administrations and their staff.”

In a letter to superintendents earlier this month, state education Commissioner Miguel A. Cardona said decisions on graduations rest with them, but they should consider celebrating the graduates in some form be it through a postponement, a virtual gathering or something else.

“Consideration of the strong feelings of seniors completing their high school education should be paramount in your decision-making,” Cardona wrote.

Many colleges and universities have already canceled their commencement ceremonies for May, opting to hold virtual events instead.