TEXAS, USA — On May 5, the Texas Education Agency has announced guidelines for Class of 2020 graduation ceremonies for all Texas school districts amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath provided four different pathways for schools to celebrate their graduating seniors, and each district is at liberty to determine if any of these options best serve the needs and desires of their community:
- Completely virtual ceremonies that take place entirely online, with the use of videoconference or other technologies.
- Hybrid ceremonies, which consist of a compilation of videos of students being recognized in person as they celebrate graduation in small groups.
- Vehicle ceremonies, in which students and their families wait in their cars while other graduates are recognized one at time with their families alongside them.
- Outdoor in-person ceremonies, which are currently permitted for counties as follows:
- Between May 15 and May 31, an outdoor ceremony may take place in a rural county that has an attestation as described in the Governor’s Report to Open Texas that remains in effect seven days prior to the ceremony.
- An outdoor ceremony may take place in any Texas county on or after May 29 (the TEA modified this date from June 1, on Thursday, May 7).
Full details of the TEA's graduation ceremony guidance can be found on the TEA website.
CBS19 has compiled a list of graduation dates for East Texas school districts:
- Alto High School - Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m.; Cam'ron Matthews Field
- Big Sandy High School - Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m.; Wildcat Stadium
- Brownsboro High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; Bear Stadium
- Cayuga High School - Wednesday, June 17, at 7 p.m.; Scarborough Stadium
- Chapel Hill High School - Sunday, June 7, at 8 p.m.; CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium
- Christian Heritage Classical School (Longview) - Saturday, July 11, at 11 a.m.; Spring Hill First Baptist Church
- Gilmer High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; Jeff Traylor Stadium
- Gladewater High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; Jack V. Murphy Stadium
- Hallsville High School - Monday, June 1, at 8 p.m.; Bobcat Stadium
- Hughes Springs High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; Mustang Stadium
- John Tyler High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium
- Laneville High School - Friday, May 22, at 7 p.m.; Car parade graduation at administration building
- Lindale ISD - Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m.; Eagle Stadium
- Longview Christian School - Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m.; Grace Creek Church
- Lufkin High School - Will hold hybrid, taped ceremony for each student from May 18 - May 22; individual videos will be compiled into one and copies will be given to each student
- New Boston High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; Lion Stadium
- New Diana High School - Saturday, June 20, at 8 p.m.; New Diana Eagle Stadium
- Palestine High School - Will hold virtual ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, at 8 a.m.
- Pine Tree High School - Saturday, June 27, at 8 p.m.; Pirate Stadium
- Pleasant Grove High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.. - Hawk Stadium
- Quitman High School - Will hold hybrid, taped ceremony for each student from May 11 - May 12; individual videos will be compiled into one and will air on QISD's YouTube channel at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 22; the video will also be available for purchase
- Rusk High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; Eagle Stadium
- Robert E. Lee High School - Saturday, June 6, at 8 p.m.; CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium
- Sabine High School - Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m.; R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium
- Slocum High School - Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m.; Slocum Baseball Field
- Spring Hill High School - Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m.; Panther Stadium
- St. Mary's Catholic School (Longview) - Friday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m.; St. Mary's Catholic Church
- Tatum ISD - Thursday, June 4, at 8 p.m.; Tatum Eagle Stadium
- Tenaha High School - Monday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m.; The Pit
- Trinity School of Texas (Longview) - Friday, July 17,
- Tyler ISD Early College High School - Thursday, June 4, at 8 p.m.; CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium
- Tyler ISD RISE Academy - Wednesday, June 3, at 8 p.m.; CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium
- West Rusk High School - Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m.; Bruce Bradshaw Stadium
- Whitehouse High School - Friday, May 29, at 9 p.m.; Wildcat Stadium
- White Oak High School - Friday, May 29, at 6:30 p.m.; Roughneck Stadium
Please check with your respective district for guidelines regarding attendance and tickets.
If you'd like to add your school district to the list, text us at (903) 600-2600.