Graduation will not likely be a typical event this year.
Tom Moore, superintendent of Great Falls Public Schools, told the school board during their April 13 meeting that the recommendation from the Montana Office of Public Instruction and health officials is not to hold large group gatherings.
Earlier in the day, Moore was on a conference call with other superintendents of AA districts and they all agree this is a major concern for graduating seniors and are “working on creative ways to address graduation without bringing large groups together.”
Moore said he spoke with Trisha Gardner, health officer at the Cascade County City-County Health Department before the board meeting and she agreed large group gatherings into May are “out of the question.”
He said that the district is working on contingency plans for graduation, but at this point “health care officials are telling me large group gatherings are not gonna happen in May or June.”
OPI tells districts not to plan on large in-person graduation ceremonies
Earlier this month, Great Falls Public Schools said it was “starting to plan for how to celebrate graduation 2020 differently, in the event that we need to.”
The district asked students and parents to call their principals to share ideas.
C.M.R students should contact Kerry Parsons at 268-6241; Great Falls High students should contact Geoff Habel at 268-6323; and Paris Gibson Education Center students should contact Drew Uecker at 268-6600.
Last week, OPI sent a letter to public school districts advising them to “continue your distance learning plans through the remainder of this school year and also plan to not hold large-scale in-person graduation ceremonies.”
In the letter, Arntzen writes that the governor is making public policy decisions in two-week chunks based on information from public health officials, but that the Office of Public Instruction officials expect that event if the stat at home and school closure directives are lifted on April 24 that social distancing guidelines will still be recommended.
“At this time, national health authorities are stating that social distancing recommendations will be in place at least through May and possibly into the summer,” according to OPI’s letter. “We encourage you to postpone graduation ceremonies until later in the year or come up with alternative plans to honor your graduates, ensuring equity in recognition for all students, including special education students.”
