The Clovis Unified School District governing board provided updates regarding the status of senior graduation, summer school and summer camps at its meeting Wednesday evening.
During a presentation, Associate Superintendent of School Leadership for CUSD Norm Anderson said that the district has not given up hope of having a normal in-person graduation ceremony for all of its schools.
The district has reserved the Save Mart Center located on Shaw Ave. for graduation ceremonies on July 27-28. Anderson said that the ceremonies were moved up from August to accommodate students that would be traveling to college before then.
Whether that event will take place will be determined by what restrictions are currently in place at the time by state and county public health departments.
Students and parents will be notified by their respective schools at the end of the month of the definitive plans regarding the in-person graduation ceremony.
However, Anderson did say that certain graduation-related events have been scheduled and will take place at various stadiums.
Schools are planning graduation stage picture events where students and parents will book an appointment to come to a venue at which students will be able to cross a stage, receive their diplomas while having a professional picture taken.
The entire process may take some time as the schools will still have to follow guidelines set forth by public health officials due to COVID-19.
“That is a very lengthy process,” Anderson said. “This is a bigger challenge than a traditional ceremony because we are not allowed to have large gatherings in any venue and we have to experience the social distancing.”
During the presentation, Anderson also provided updates on plans for summer school and summer camps.
CUSD is planning to hold summer school, but it will be done in the same fashion that normal school has been during the coronavirus pandemic, via virtual instruction through computers and learning packets.
But the process won’t be totally unfamiliar.
“We’ve done this before in summer school, so it isn’t as big of a change as it was during the normal school year,” Anderson said.
Parents will be contacted by their respective schools to get their students enrolled.
No official determination has been made by the school district about the future of any summer camps.
Anderson said that the district is on hold for cancelling or holding any camps, including summer team practices and arts and recreation programs.
“We have so many opportunities for our students in the community to be involved this summer in the area of academics, arts, athletics, etcetera,” Anderson said. We have everything planned like we would each summer, but are waiting to see what is permitted during the COVID-19 guidelines.”
The district plans to provide updates the weeks of June 1 and June 29 about whether CUSD can offer those activities.