Rochester school district plans 'drive-up' graduation ceremonies for seniors
Rochester Public Schools officially updated its plans for graduation ceremonies on Monday, after guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Education threw the district’s original plans into disarray.
The district now says it will now hold optional ‘drive-up ceremonies,’ in which students receive their diploma from the principal (or pick it up from a stand) while still in their car. The ceremonies are scheduled to run from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, May 29.
The district had originally planned to host outdoor ‘mini-graduations’ over May 29 and 30, with no more than 30 seniors participating at one time. One day after the district announced its plans, the Minnesota Department of Education released guidelines for graduation ceremonies statewide, saying any outdoor ceremonies are “not considered safe at any size and will not be permitted.”
Response to the guidelines caused a stir statewide and made their way to the Capitol in St. Paul, where state Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) issued a statement asking Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) to reconsider the guidelines, stating “...schools want to give their seniors the send-off they deserve; I hope we can give them that opportunity.”
Sen. Nelson’s statement was issued on May 11. One week later, the district says it has not received clearance from the Department of Education to proceed with its original plan. MDE’s top recommendation is for districts to host online ceremonies, but did issue guidelines on how to successfully operate a drive-in graduation. Now, the district is following the department’s lead.
“While this is frustrating, we are determined to give our seniors who have met the requirements for graduation a celebration that they have earned,” the district wrote in a news release.
In addition to the diploma process, the district plans to send students and parents a link with most of the speeches normally included in a graduation ceremony, featuring students, RPS School Board Chair Deborah Seelinger, and Superintendent Michael Muñoz, among others. The drive-up ceremonies will be recorded and included in the video.
The district says more information about the ceremonies, including specific locations for each school, will be released in the coming days. For more information about each high school, follow the links below.
Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.
Cover photo licensed via Getty
