County schools planning two-part graduation ceremonies

Like most schools, the Union County District is having to adjust its graduation plans in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

That means the traditional gym and football field ceremonies are having to be discarded this year.

“We had been working on a plan but then last Monday or Tuesday we received the new guidelines from MDE (Mississippi Department of Education) and had to tear them up and start over,” Superintendent Ken Basil said.

He believes that the new plan he, Assistant Superintendent Windy Faulkner and incoming superintendent Russell Taylor worked on is best for the safety of all concerned, given the situation and restrictions.

“We will have two ceremonies,” he continued. “One for only the students and principal and maybe one district representative.”

“The other will be with parents,” he said. “We may have two students, each with a group of up to 20 parents.”

There had been talk of holding ceremonies for all four schools on the football field at East Union or baseball field at the others but, of course, the schools preferred having graduation at their own campuses. Weather could be a factor with outside ceremonies as well.

And even outside ceremonies would be limited as to attendance under the state guidelines, Basil added.

“We hope the governor will open up,” Basil said. “I think he will open up, but it probably won’t be enough (for sufficiently large attendance or a traditional ceremony),” he said.

As it stands, graduation ceremonies will be held over four days, which will still help accommodate those who may have family or friends graduating at more than one school.

The Myrtle ceremonies will be Monday, June 15; Ingomar’s will be Thursday, June 18; East Union will be Monday, June 22; and West Union will be Thursday, June 25.

The individual student recognition will be at 9 a.m. for Ingomar, West Union and East Union but 11 a.m. at Myrtle.

Basil said students will be given time periods in which the graduate and his or her family should arrive at the high school gymnasium. Each graduate will be allowed 20 seats during their time slot.

Graduates and family members must wear face masks and maintain social distancing during the ceremony.

The closed graduation ceremony for all high school seniors, but seniors only, will be held at 8 p.m.

Each ceremony will be live-streamed on the Union County School District Facebook page.

Given the nature of the pandemic situation, Basil said these plans may still change between now and the current ceremony dates.