LEWISTON — High school seniors who have weighed in on graduation agree on one thing: They do not want a virtual ceremony.
Not one of the Lewiston High School seniors who responded to a questionnaire from Superintendent Todd Finn was in favor of an online service, he said Monday night.
However, safety is the biggest issue, said senior Fazla Karim, the Lewiston High School student representative to the School Committee.
“I have talked to some classmates and parents,” Karim said, “and they think the one thing we have to consider is safety.”
However, he said, seniors favor an in-person graduation “that could be fully experienced with friends and family.”
The School Committee also heard from administrators who are working on a way to keep people safe and still provide a meaningful experience.
“I keep thinking of the moment,” Principal Jake Langlais said. “The moment for parents is seeing their kid and hearing their name called and the moment for kids is to walk across the stage — the look and the feel of it.”
Langlais said an estimated 275 students are set to graduate.
Options for an alternative ceremony are small-group gatherings, virtual, a walk-up service or waiting until larger gatherings are allowed by the state.
Guidelines beginning June 1 to August allow gatherings of up to 50 people under Gov. Janet Mills’ stay-at-home order.
Graduation has been scheduled for June 5, but the date is flexible.
The ceremony could be delayed, but there is a risk that even in August, the state will be under a social distancing order.
If Lewiston opts for the small-group graduations, each senior will get a ceremony with family and friends lasting 10 minutes. The entire event would take 45 hours, Langlais said.
Whatever the decision, “we need to figure out the logistics and make it happen within the guidelines,” he said.
Finn laid out four standards: health and safety of all, feasibility, equity and accessibility, and respect for the senior class.
Any option must be one in which every senior can participate, Finn said.
According to Maine Department of Education guidelines, both indoor and outdoor ceremonies must be limited to no more than 50 people at a time.
Most School Committee members favored small-group gatherings, which Finn said would take three days.
Alicia Rae, the City Council representative to the committee, said she supported an online ceremony.
“Virtual is not what anyone wants, but it is the safest option,” she said. “I think it makes more sense. This all sucks, but in order to have closure and move on, I think virtual would be the safest and most accessible.”
Waiting until larger gatherings are allowed or delaying the ceremony for a year did not seem to have the support of the committee.
Whatever option is chosen, it will be the decision of Langlais and his administrative team, Finn said,
But before a decision is made, officials want to hear from the community. On online forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday. A panel of students, parents, administrators, School Committee members and teacher advisers and a gallery of 500 people from the community will take comments and answer questions.
There will be a live link on the Lewiston Public Schools website to register, Finn said.
“This is a very sensitive time for our community,” he said. “We’d love to have the community get behind our problem-solving process.”
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