Layton Dudley
Vestavia Hills High School will allow seniors to participate in their choice of two graduation events: a traditional graduation ceremony to be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 6 p.m. at Thompson-Reynolds Stadium on the VHHS campus, or a graduation for individual students and their families on May 20-21. In the event of rain, the stadium ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 20.
To comply with public health guidelines, VHHS administrators are limiting the stadium’s capacity to two guests per student. Those guests must have tickets which will be distributed to seniors later this week. Students and families must maintain a six-foot distance between others and are encouraged to wear masks while on campus.
Vestavia Hills City Schools Director of Public Relations Whit McGhee said family units will be six feet apart, as will students.
The stadium ceremony will be live streamed for those who cannot attend, Burgess said.
For the individual graduations, students would come to the school in their cap and gown with their immediate family and be given a chance to get their diploma and have their picture taken, McGhee said.
“These plans have been made working with our VHCS central office, school system architects to determine seating options, and our superintendent, Dr. Todd Freeman,” VHHS principal Tyler Burgess said in his statement. “We have looked at many options and identified this plan as the most appropriate and in-line with input from our seniors. Again, while this is not ideal, it is what we are able to do given the parameters and protocols for safety provided by state officials to give our students a graduation with their peers.”
