Denfeld High School seniors get a say in graduation

Apr. 28—Denfeld High School seniors are being given a choice as to where and how they will graduate this year.

After graduation plans were announced early this month with several options, including an all-class graduation on the field at Public Schools Stadium (weather permitting) or two separate ceremonies in the Denfeld Auditorium, some parents and students spoke up wanting Amsoil Arena as an option.

East High School is planning two separate ceremonies at Amsoil Arena, with social distancing in place.

A survey was sent out to Denfeld seniors Wednesday to choose from four options:

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An all-class graduation on the field at Public Schools Stadium with students each getting four tickets for family members.

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Two identical ceremonies in the Denfeld Auditorium, if weather does not support an outdoor graduation, with students each getting two tickets for family members.

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An all-class graduation at Amsoil Arena with students each getting four tickets for family members. As of Wednesday, Amsoil Arena has a capacity of 1,300.

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A single-student graduation, similar to what the class of 2020 was given, and students can bring as many family members and they would like. Students choosing this option would be allowed to sign up for time slots of 5-10 minutes. If a student chooses this option, they are opting out of participating in a group graduation.

"We face the challenges of the current guidelines for group gatherings due to the coronavirus, as well as the unknowns that rising case numbers can bring," Denfeld Principal Tom Tusken wrote in a newsletter. "This is our plan to the best of our knowledge. They could still change at any time."

Denfeld High School has around 242 seniors and East High School has around 360 seniors.