After months of speculation and questions on social media, the Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County officially has a graduation plan for its 2020 seniors.
At Monday’s board meeting, officials voted in favor of an in person graduation ceremony on Saturday, July 11 at 10 a.m. The ceremony will take place at Kelso Stadium. Based on Governor Eric Holcomb’s plans to reopen the state, district officials announced each family will receive four tickets to the ceremony to ensure proper social distancing measures are followed. In addition, the tickets will permit admittance to a specific section of the Kelso Stadium bleachers.
District officials have said families will be required to sit in the section of the bleachers indicated on their tickets. Furthermore, graduates will also sit six feet apart on the football field.
Should the event get rained out, a second attempt to hold commencement will be held at 5 p.m. on July 11. If the weather does not permit a Saturday ceremony to be held, a third attempt will be held on Sunday, July 12, at 1 p.m.
Should that not work, a virtual commencement will be held at 1 p.m. on July 12. Additional information will be sent to seniors and their families at a later date, according to district officials.
Wes Anderson, director of community relations and communications, told Giant FM, the district’s hopes was to have an in-person ceremony.
“Our goal during this process was to make every attempt to have an in-person ceremony. We consulted with our seniors. They made it clear they wanted an in-person ceremony, if possible. We have created multiple weather contingencies to get this ceremony in over the course of the scheduled weekend,” Anderson said.
In other board news, the district approved a request from superintendent Dr. Lisa Lantrip to assign two new housing additions to their future elementary schools.
For families who will live in Grant’s Corner, which will be at the intersection of U.S. 40 and County Road 700 West, their students will attend Sugar Creek Elementary.
Families who will live in Cooperstone, located at the intersection of County Road 500 West and County Road 200 South, their children will attend Brandywine Elementary.
