The district emailed students and parents May 8 with the dates and times for the outdoor events. The communication also includes a survey due back by 5 p.m. May 12 asking whether students plan to participate in the ceremony for their school.
The first three graduation ceremonies will be held May 29 with Heritage Star High scheduled for 9 a.m., Independence High to follow at 1 p.m. and Lebanon Trail High slated for 5 p.m.
On May 30, Liberty High's graduation will begin at 8 a.m., Reedy High's ceremony will be at noon, Frisco High's event will follow at 4 p.m., and Memorial High will round out the day at 8 p.m.
On June 1, Wakeland High's graduation is slated for 9 a.m., Centennial High is scheduled to follow at 1 p.m. and Lone Star High will have its ceremony at 5 p.m.
FISD announced May 1 it was planning in-person graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020 that would follow social distancing procedures. In the email sent May 8, the district said each graduate will receive a set number of tickets, but that number has not yet been determined. The district plans to provide masks for each graduate, but the students will be allowed to remove them for pictures and to walk across the stage, the email said.
The district email explained guests will be required to abide by social distancing guidelines throughout Toyota Stadium. The ceremony will be completely voluntary for students and their families, and no graduation rehearsal will be held.
“The reason we're not delaying graduation ceremonies is because we have many students who would be unable to attend a later ceremony,” Superintendent Mike Waldrip said in a video uploaded to the district’s YouTube account May 1. “And we want to make sure every student is celebrated.”
In his video to the senior class, 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.”
