Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Illinois State Board of Education Issues Guidance on Graduation Ceremonies

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 05/04/20

The month of May is usually filled with graduation ceremonies and end-of-the year celebrations for students’ accomplishments. The coronavirus has completely changed the way these rituals are executed.

The Illinois State Board of Education issued guidance for schools on how to hold these ceremonies. It’s up to local school boards and superintendents whether or not to have socially distanced graduation ceremonies.

The board strongly encourages districts to hold digital events and to use social media to highlight graduates with hashtags and messages. They encourage videos of graduates with short messages and recorded speeches by invited speakers which provides students with “a long-term memento.”

The board will allow in-person graduation events including “drive-in” and “drive-through” ceremonies. In both cases, students and their immediate family who are staying at home together should remain in their cars for the entirety of the ceremony.

Other acceptable ceremonies include an individualized ceremony at school where a student walks across the stage in their cap and gown and have their photo taken at a designated time. Restroom access or refreshments will not be available at facilities during ceremonies.

Another example is school officials visit each graduate’s home while remaining outside and at least six feet away to congratulate each graduate.

In all cases, the board’s recommendations include no person-to-person contact during the ceremony and that all people outside of the car wear a face mask or covering.

Read more detailed guidance here.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.