El Paso County outlines steps for in-person high school graduation ceremonies

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- School districts around Colorado Springs are still working out their plans for graduation ceremonies, but the El Paso County Public Health Department released guidelines Tuesday to help schools craft workable plans.

The plan will be submitted to the governor's office for approval, but it has been created and reviewed by public health experts.

"This guidance will allow schools, students, families, and the wider community to celebrate the accomplishments of graduates in a medically sound way that limits the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19," the health department said.

School districts must submit a written plan to the department three weeks before the proposed ceremony date, and they have to address the following guidelines:

• Ceremonies should be held in a staggered manner as late into the spring or summer as possible to allow for the evaluation of current loosening of social distancing policies.
• Written plans must include a fully virtual option in the event incoming data contraindicates hosting in-person ceremonies.
• Ceremonies must be held outside with weather contingency plans of transition to virtual-only or tents. Indoor ceremonies are prohibited.
• Ceremonies must be STUDENT ONLY with minimal staff required to manage students and flow of ceremonies.
• All students and staff must meet six-foot social distancing at all times, including when entering and exiting the ceremony.
• If outside facilities cannot accommodate the six-foot distancing, ceremonies must be held in the number of shifts necessary to allow for such distancing.
• No parents, guests, or observers are allowed on-site. Ceremonies may be broadcast electronically for all viewers.
• No associated social gatherings of students or staff are permitted at ceremony facilities prior to or following the ceremony.
• All students and staff must wear cloth face coverings over the nose and mouth at all times, with the exception of individual photographs by an official photographer while social distancing from others.
• A no-touch or no-contact procedure for receipt of the diploma must be implemented, such as presentation on a table by staff to be picked up by the student.
• A permission slip or behavior contract must be signed by students and parents concerning risk mitigation. It must include a health screening survey that is completed the day of the ceremony and prior to entry, to include questions about fever, cough, congestion, chills, or other symptoms exhibited by the student or others in the household in the previous 14 days, with any positive answers resulting in exclusion of the student from participation in the ceremony.
• Proposals to address students with special needs or who may require assistance must be included.
• An inclusionary plan must be developed for families or students not wishing or not able to participate in person.

This is all tentative, however, and public health could require schools to implement virtual-only alternatives with at least one week's notice if public health conditions deteriorate, according to the department.

El Paso County's proposal is much more relaxed in comparison to Gov. Jared Polis' proposal, which would still limit the ceremonies to 10 people or less.

"How a school would go about doing that -- in shifts or individuals, or bringing families in one at a time onto campus -- would be a decision other counties have to think about," says Dr. Leon Kelly, acting director of El Paso County Public Health.

Kelly says the stark contrast in Polis' proposal versus El Paso County's plan has to do with the governor's plan needing to address different circumstances across the state.

"This war that we're fighting, this virus, is going to be community by community, so communities based off their population density are going to do better than others," Kelly said.

Kelly says he's confident in the county's ability to execute a graduation ceremony that's as close to traditional as possible, as well as their ability to deal with the repercussions that may follow.

"We locally have the ability to deal with whatever would happen - if we do have some spread of the virus," says Kelly.

Kelly says if hospital capacities drop between now and the next month or so, districts are prepared to go virtual for their ceremonies.