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It turns out, Peoria Unified School District seniors may not get to walk in graduation after all.
The Arizona Department of Health Services has announced that it does not recommend school districts proceed with graduation ceremonies at this time due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Initially, graduation ceremonies as they were originally scheduled were canceled, but the district secured June 26-27 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale for the ceremonies in hopes that it would be safe for large groups of people to gather by then.
State Farm Stadium has reached out to the district and said that in order to host the events, the district would need to comply with a number of guidelines, including $30,000 in fees to cover security, sanitation and livestreming.
The district has already spent $77,000 in rental fess, which are refundable.
District officials have distributed a survey to parents and students to gauge their feelings about the guidelines. The deadline for the survey is 5 p.m., June 8.
Other guidelines are:
•Masks are required for graduates, staff and guests upon entry. It is strongly recommended that masks are worn throughout the ceremony
•No band or choir performances
•Shorted speeches to allow for additional cleaning between ceremonies.
•No shaking hands or presentation of diplomas (as they have already been distributed) during the ceremony
•Two tickets per graduate in pre-assigned seats spread across the lower bowl of the stadium. Additional tickets may be available based on class size and available space.
Philip Haldiman can be reached at 623-876-3697, phaldiman@newszap.com, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
Philip Haldiman is a third generation Arizona native with brief residencies on the east and west coasts.
He has bachelor’s degrees in Theater and Journalism at Arizona State University, and is an award winning journalist with more than 15 years worth of experience in reporting and editing.
Most recently, he took first place for investigative reporting and third place for best sustained coverage or series at the 2023 Arizona Newspapers Association awards.
In his free time, he produces an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
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