A unique graduation site
2 Flager County high schools will have ceremonies at track at the end of May
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Daytona International Speedway is known for producing dramatic finishes and hair-raising thrills for racers and their fans.
The iconic venue now aims to do the same for a group of students whose final year of high school went off track due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Speedway, NASCAR and the family of the sport’s late founder Bill France Sr. have combined forces to stage a graduation ceremony May 31 for both Flagler County high schools. Matanzas High School’s ceremony begins at 11 a.m., followed at 4 p.m. by Flagler-Palm Coast High School’s ceremony.
School superintendent James Tager said a committee of students, school administrators, district staff and a member of the school board had been discussing how to stage a graduation ceremony as close as possible to the original May 28 date.
“Without the wonderful team at Daytona International Speedway, we probably would not have been able to do that,” Tager said.
The ad-hoc graduation committee met several times throughout the month of April to discuss possible scenarios.
Students on the committee hoped to stage a ceremony before classmates left for college, careers or military service.
The committee did not want to set a later date and risk continued restrictions or social distancing measures forcing a schedule change. The release stated students also were “virtualed” out, removing from consideration the idea of a virtual graduation ceremony.
In the end, a 2020 class that had endured school closures due to three hurricanes and now a pandemic envisioned a “historic ceremony” to finish their high school careers.
The offer from Daytona International Speedway will provide the chance for the ultimate victory lap.
“The France family has been committed to supporting our local schools in any way they can,” said Chip Wile, president of Daytona International Speedway. “We are unique in that we can comfortably accommodate these schools and provide an unforgettable experience for these graduates.
“We are honored to host these graduates and their families for this special occasion.”
Matanzas High School senior Hunter Perez, a member of the graduation committee, was blown away by the gesture.
“Graduating at Daytona International Speedway is beyond anything I ever could have imagined when we started talking about alternate graduations,” Perez said, according to the news release. “No one else in the nation has ever done anything like this!”
Representatives from each school and school district continue to weigh logistics with track officials.
Some details have been ironed out. Each ceremony will be simulcast via radio inside the facility and live-streamed on the website FlaglerSchools.com. Also, one vehicle will be permitted for each graduate and their family, who must remain in their vehicles during the ceremony — in adherence with CDC guidelines.
Further details will be provided to seniors and their families during the coming weeks.
“Life has challenges; the best way to persevere is to show how you work through it despite it being new and different,” said Shelcey Garcia, a student committee member from Flagler-Palm Coast High School. “It’s important to remember that there’s always positivity in tough times.
“The FPC Class of 2020 will be remembered as those who persevered and created hope out of a time where we felt hopeless. For our class to be able to go out on such a high note at such an amazing venue is so exciting.”