Duval School Board approves outdoor graduation ceremonies
Duval County Public Schools will host outdoor commencement ceremonies for the second consecutive year. The ceremonies will take place on school football fields for class of 2021 graduates. The move provides some certainty during a largely uncertain school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
School officials say making the call now gives the district time to prepare for safe, social-distanced ceremonies compared to last school year, when the pandemic prompted mass rescheduling.
When the COVID-19 pandemic originally struck, Duval Schools was forced to close schools in March it would be the last time the class of 2020 would all be on campus together, with events like prom and graduation hanging in the balance for seniors.
Marine Science Center (at Fletcher High)
Duval Virtual Instructional Academy (at Wolfson High)
Separate contracts will be negotiated for ceremonies at the following schools, which lack campus football stadiums:
Andrew Jackson High
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
Darnell Cookman School of the Medical Arts
Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology
It s not immediately clear where ceremonies will be hosted for schools that lack football fields. Last school year, the remaining schools ceremonies took place at TIAA Bank Field.
One welcome change this year versus last year s outdoor ceremonies are the timeframes. I hope the ceremonies are not in the morning because it got very hot, Ribault High School Senior Class President Winston Seabrooks said. I hope the school board considers evening ceremonies instead.