The Class of 2020 at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will have prerecorded virtual graduations with the elements of a traditional ceremony such as speeches and the reading of each graduate’s name with available photos. Diplomas will be provided during a drive-through ceremony, with a future school-based celebration planned for graduates.
The plans were announced by CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, who said social-distancing requirements and gathering restrictions in effect during the coronavirus pandemic have made a traditional in-person graduation impossible.
"This is the first graduation that I'll oversee as superintendent and I wish with all my heart that it could be a traditional one,” Winston said. “But the safety of our graduates, their families and our staff must come first. Unfortunately, it has been apparent since the COVID-19 pandemic began that we would not be able to celebrate the Class of 2020 in a traditional way."
In March, a graduation task force that included staff, experts, parents and graduating seniors was created to look at all the options. The task force developed three virtual options for graduation ceremonies, which were shared with seniors in a survey. Winston reviewed the results of the survey before making his final decision.
CMS has almost 10,000 graduating seniors and anticipated more than 102,000 people would have attended the 2020 ceremonies.