Indian River School District to hold six graduation ceremoniesPAST DATES

The Indian River School District has received approval to host outdoor graduation ceremonies at Indian River and Sussex Central high schools for the Class of 2020.

Indian River will hold two graduation ceremonies on Wednesday, June 17, and Sussex Central will host four ceremonies on Thursday, June 18. Graduating classes will be divided alphabetically to determine the ceremony each student will attend.

At Indian River June 17, session one will take place at 10 a.m., and session two will take place at 12 noon.

At Sussex Central June 18, session 1, which will include academic Top 10 and IB diploma students, begins at 10 a.m. Session two takes place at 12 noon, session three is at 2 p.m., and session four is at 4 p.m.

At each school, graduates are permitted to have four guests at their designated ceremony. Graduates and their families are asked to arrive in a single vehicle. Families will be assigned a reporting time for their ceremony, which will be staggered starting 45 minutes prior to the ceremony to limit foot traffic in the parking lot and on school grounds. Face coverings must be worn by all graduates and family members once they exit their vehicles and enter the stadium. Hand sanitizer will be available at the stadium entrance.

Stadium bleachers will be marked off for four family members to be spaced at least six feet apart from other family groups. All attendees must sit in the bleachers and standing will not be permitted. Graduates will also be seated six feet apart and will maintain a safe social distance when exiting their seats to receive their diplomas.  

Each school will communicate detailed instructions to parents prior to the ceremonies. Parents should follow these instructions carefully to allow for an efficient entrance and exit from the stadium and parking lot. Delaware State Police, local police and fire police will be on hand to assist with traffic control.

Following each ceremony, all seats, handrails, graduate chairs, tables, podiums, microphones and electronic equipment will be disinfected. Restrooms will also be sanitized using normal protocols. 

A live stream of all Sussex Central graduation ceremonies will be broadcast on the school’s Facebook page. Indian River will also provide a live stream of its ceremonies. Information on how to access the broadcasts will be posted on the school website and Facebook page a week prior to the ceremonies.