Horry County high schools will hold in-person graduations despite coronavirus
Coronavirus has kept Horry County Schools closed for almost two months, but it won’t prevent the district from celebrating the Class of 2020 with in-person graduation ceremonies.
Each high school’s principal will have the ability to decide whether the ceremonies will be located outside in their football stadiums or inside a gymnasium, and whether the celebrations will include the entire graduating class at once or will be held in small groups.
The motion, which passed in an 8-3 vote, specified that attendance will be voluntary for all students and staff.
Dissenters on the board expressed concern about this decision not giving the principals enough direction and putting the onus on them.
“We took this on, but with this motion, we’re still not making a decision,” board member Janice Morreale said.
Board member Russell Freeman, who also opposed the decision, said he didn’t think principals would have enough time to plan for full graduation ceremonies if the board didn’t give them more precise instructions.
The district school board met virtually last week to discuss graduation options with the district’s high school principals, and board members supported narrowing the options to holding ceremonies at either football fields or the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Board member Sherrie Todd said last week that she’d spoken with the owners of the convention center and was told they would offer to host all the high schools’ ceremonies for $11,000 total.
Numerous board members stated support for each high school administration being allowed to make its own decision, as each school has different needs and traditions.
The district has about 3,000 seniors at 10 high schools, according to a list sent to The Sun News by HCS spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier, but those schools range from 88 seniors at Green Sea Floyds High School up to 514 at Carolina Forest High School.
HCS Superintendent Rick Maxey had originally announced virtual ceremonies after the governor ordered public schools closed the rest of the school year, but the district quickly changed course after widespread push back from parents and students.
South Carolina schools have been closed since March 16 due to coronavirus with HCS and other districts quickly transitioning to an eLearning curriculum. Remote learning is expected to continue until the end of the the school year, which is June 3 for HCS, though no new assignments will be given after May 15.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 7:11 PM.
