Some high school graduation plans are changing. NC has eased rules on guests and masks.
Updated May 26 with Orange County information.
Some Triangle school districts are changing their high school graduation plans now that the state is no longer limiting how many people can attend and not requiring that face masks be worn outdoors.
North Carolina high schools have been planning smaller-than-normal in-person graduation ceremonies this year to comply with state requirements for reduced venue capacity and social distancing. But recent state changes mean some schools are now giving seniors more graduation tickets and not requiring face coverings to be worn at the ceremonies.
“There are no limits to the number of attendees at indoor or outdoor venues,” Caitlin Furr, a Johnston County schools spokeswoman, said in an email. “We will not require masks at our outdoor graduation ceremonies per the governor’s Executive Order.”
In the Wake County school system, high schools have until the end of this week to make changes to their graduation plans. This could lead to changes in previously announced graduation dates.
But some schools are sticking with the plans they made before the state’s capacity and face mask rules were changed. They’re citing ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year’s more restrictive state rules due to the pandemic caused high schools to hold drive-through graduation ceremonies or timed individual walk-throughs.
Schools have been planning for bigger in-person graduation ceremonies this year. But plans changed May 14 when Gov. Roy Cooper announced he was ending COVID-19 capacity limits at events and not requiring masks to be worn in most venues.
Wake considering graduation changes
Wake County principals met last week to review the new state guidelines. Wake’s updated graduation guidance no longer requires face masks at outdoor ceremonies and no longer mentions capacity limits or social distancing requirements.
Face masks will still be required to be worn by students, staff and spectators at indoor Wake school graduations. Indoors at schools is one of the remaining places where the state is requiring that face masks be worn.
But most high schools are holding graduations outdoors, typically at the football stadium.
On-campus graduations are being used this year in lieu of Wake holding ceremonies at venues such as the Raleigh Convention Center.
The school district gave high schools until the end of the week to finalize graduation changes, according to Lisa Luten, a Wake schools spokeswoman. Most Wake high schools will hold graduation ceremonies in the second week of June.
Before the recent state changes, most Wake high schools had planned to hold multiple in-person graduation ceremonies due to the capacity limits. Some schools have now opted to have one combined ceremony while others are weighing whether to still hold multiple ceremonies, according to Luten.
Individual Wake schools are also contacting seniors to say they’ll have more tickets available now than previously planned.
All Wake high schools are also holding individual ceremonies for seniors and their guests who don’t feel comfortable being in a large-group setting yet. Also, Wake is streaming high school graduation ceremonies online.
Durham, Orange not changing plans
But Durham high schools won’t be increasing how many people attend due to the new state rules.
“We are not making any changes to graduation plans,” Casey Watson, a Durham Public Schools spokeswoman, said in an email. “We will require masks to be worn and attendance will be limited to 1,000 people at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and 2,500 at North Carolina Central University O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.”
Pre-COVID, Durham held high school graduations at Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University and McDonald Arena at N.C. Central. Seniors got 10 tickets, more than they’ll get this year.
Durham changed the graduation venues this year to hold ceremonies outdoors due to COVID-19, according to Janet Del Pinal, coordinator of school programs for Durham Public Schools. She said seniors will get between four and eight tickets, depending on the size of the graduating class and the venue capacity.
Orange County also isn’t changing graduation plans, according to Melany Stowe, a district spokeswoman. The district isn’t increasing capacity at the ceremonies and is still asking graduates and guests to wear masks at the outdoor ceremonies. Graduates are allowed to remove their masks as they walk across the stage to get their diploma.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school system will consolidate the number of ceremonies that schools are holding now that the capacity limits have been lifted, according to Jeff Nash, a district spokesman.
This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Some high school graduation plans are changing. NC has eased rules on guests and masks.."
