Just over 200 students will graduate from Neshoba Central High School next week, with a few added cautions, due to COVID-19.
The ceremony will happen on the football field, nearly one month after the originally scheduled graduation, with 60 to 70 students graduating a night, over three days, on June 16, 18 and 19.
Neshoba County School Superintendent Dr. Lundy Brantley said the stadium seats about 4,000 people. Graduates were given 12 tickets a piece for attendees, so loved ones will fill only 25% of the stadium.
After losing the last part of their senior year, Dr. Brantley said administration wanted to give students the closest thing to a traditional graduation as possible.
“What we’re doing each night is the valedictorian and the salutatorian are giving their speech each night. They’re going to get in a lot of practice. So we’re going to make each night the same, because we want every student have the same graduation experience as another one. This is as close as felt we could get to a true graduation ceremony,” said Dr. Brantley.
Dr. Brantley said everyone seems to be excited, especially graduates.
“They seem to be very excited. When I drive out on campus or at night when I open my Facebook page, I see people have gone out and done some pre-graduation pictures. I’m just so excited that we were able to do something for our kids as close to graduation as can be because the last nine weeks was the longest history of skip days so I think they are ready to actually come back and be on campus,” said Dr. Brantley.
Dr. Brantley said a limited number of masks will be available at the ceremony, each night.
