Commencement will take place in high school football stadiums.
Frederick, Md (KM) Frederick County high school seniors will be donning caps and gowns this year. The School System says it will be holding graduation ceremonies outdoors. “We definitely wanted to honor the Class of 2021 at the end of the year,”: says Brandon Oland, Communications Manager for Frederick County Public Schools. “What we’ve been hearing throughout the pandemic is outdoors is safer than indoors.”
Last year, a virtual commencement ceremony was held for the Class of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oland says each high school will use its football stadium to hold graduation ceremonies. Normally, Frederick County Public Schools held commencement ceremonies at Knott Arena at Mount Saint Mary’s University.
He says safety protocols will be in place to protect graduates and their families. “The current restrictions that we have now are what we’re going by,”: he said. “We’re going to follow whatever the protocols are. That’s how we’re planning now. If they change, we’ll make adjustments,” says Oland.
An executive order by Governor Larry Hogan limits crowd sizes to no more than 250 people
In addition to these measure, Oland says School System officials will keep their eyes on the weather, especially if rain is in the forecast. “As we’re looking at the schedule, we’re definitely going to have weather at the front of our minds, not at the back of our minds,” he says.
A schedule of graduation ceremonies is expected to be released at a later date. But in past years, high school graduations in Frederick County usually take place the week after Memorial Day.
By Kevin McManus