Osceola graduations won’t be traditional

The Osceola County school district has canceled traditional graduation ceremonies planned for July because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, switching to a format that will spread celebrations out over several hours or even days.

Osceola’s high schools initially planned for May graduations but pushed those back until July when schools, and much of the state, shut down to help stop the spread of the virus. The district hoped that conditions would have improved enough to allow those summer ceremonies, most to be held at Osceola Heritage Park, to proceed.

But Tuesday, the district decided that had not happened as the number of reported cases has spiked in recent weeks in Florida.

So now each Osceola high school will host its own ceremony next month, giving students and their guests an assigned time, so graduates can still walk across a stage but with limited numbers of people.

Harmony High School, for example, plans to run graduations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 8, graduating 50 seniors an hour.

“I understand that many will be disappointed with the cancellation of graduations, and I share your disappointment, but we are working to make the best of an ever-changing situation,” Superintendent Debra Pace said in a statement. “If there is one thing that comes from the obstacles our graduating class has faced this year, it will be resilience in the face of adversity.”

The Seminole County school district made a similar announcement last week, canceling plans for football field ceremonies next month. The Orange County school district had virtual ceremonies earlier this month and said it would hold football field ceremonies in July, if health conditions allowed. The Lake County school district held football field ceremonies in early June, with social distancing.