POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Friends and family will get to see their Polk County seniors graduate in person, but capacity will be limited.
The school district says it will give each graduate four tickets for their family and friends to watch them receive their diploma. Guests will have assigned seats to help keep each party socially distant and will be given an assigned check-in time.
To limit exposure Polk County Public School graduation ceremonies are set to be one hour in length
According to a press release, 2021 graduations will also feature safety measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Things like temperature screenings, security checks, face mask requirements and the cleaning of seats between each ceremony are being implemented by the school district.
The majority of ceremonies will be held at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, but the school district says the following schools elected to hold graduation at a home stadium instead: Auburndale High, Fort Meade Middle-Senior and Frostproof Middle-Senior.
Ceremonies taking place at the RP Funding Center will be live-streamed and can be found on the Polk County Public School's YouTube channel.
“We are truly looking forward to celebrating our graduating seniors and all of their hard work,” said Tami Dawson, regional assistant superintendent for high schools. “This has been another unusual and challenging year, but we want to do our best to preserve important rites of passage like graduation ceremonies. While honoring our students, we must also stay vigilant in keeping up the fight against COVID-19.”
Graduates will be socially distant during each ceremony and there will be no handshakes, according to a press release.
You can visit polkschoolsfl.com/graduation for a complete list of the county's graduation ceremonies, including their dates, times, and venues.
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