In a video addressing the 2020 senior class that was uploaded to the district’s YouTube account May 1, Superintendent Mike Waldrip said district personnel believe seniors deserve to experience as many of the components of a typical graduation ceremony as possible.
“I want all of you to know that we have not given up the original graduation dates that were reserved at The Star and the Comerica Center for a traditional graduation ceremony,” Waldrip said. “We do not plan to release those reservations at this time.”
Should the district not be able to follow through with those plans, Waldrip said in-person graduation ceremonies would be held at high school campuses. Individual seniors and “a number of family members” would be able to attend a graduation ceremony on a stage between May 26 and June 6, he said.
“The reason we're not delaying graduation ceremonies is because we have many students who would be unable to attend a later ceremony,” Waldrip said. “And we want to make sure every student is celebrated.”
The superintendent said detailed information on that alternate plan would be distributed by campus principals if the district is unable to move forward with its original graduation plans.
During an April 7 meeting of the FISD Board of Trustees, Waldrip said drive-thru graduation ceremonies were among the options the district was considering for its senior class.
In his May 1 video, Waldrip said nearly 4,000 seniors responded to a graduation input survey from the district.
“We know you want a traditional graduation ceremony, and we want that for you,” he said.
Waldrip said the district also has a reservation at The Star in Frisco for July 22-25 for each campus to hold an end-of-year celebration that would allow students to see their classmates “one more time.”
“The hope is that social distancing protocols will allow us one last celebration with all of you at that time,” Waldrip said. “Additional details on all events will be coming from your campus principal in the near future. You all have worked very hard, and because of that, we're working hard to celebrate you.”
