Toms River Schools' Graduations Virtual Now, In-Person Later
TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional School District on Tuesday had announced it would hold virtual graduations June 12, with in-person graduations potentially in August.
But after Gov. Phil Murphy's comments Wednesday that in-car graduation ceremonies would be an acceptable option for high schools in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, school district officials are exploring additional options.
"We are readdressing graduations," Toms River Schools Superintendent David Healy Wednesday evening during the school board's curriculum committee meeting.
The district on Tuesday had announced it would hold virtual graduations on June 12 for the Class of 2020, along with virtual promotion ceremonies for its eighth graders, with in-person graduations to be held at a later date.
"We remember how important those moments were for us when we were students," Healy said Wednesday evening during the school board's curriculum committee meeting. "We are going to have an in-person graduation when it's safe and when it's legal."
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Healy said the letter he sent to parents on Tuesday was to keep them apprised of the district's plans, and was in response to the letter from New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan to the state Department of Education and school districts across the state on Saturday.
Callahan's letter said school districts were barred from holding in-person graduations under the conditions in Murphy's stay-at-home order, which said people should be staying home except when going out for necessities such as buying food, picking up prescriptions and the like.
"In the best interest of the health and safety of the public, in-person ceremonies, including graduations, all parades including 'wave parades,' that invite people to gather at a certain location, proms, and other similar celebrations ... should therefore be cancelled or postponed until such time as these restrictions are lifted," Callahan's letter said in part. "Until such time, virtual celebrations and other remote forms of recognition should take the place of any in-person or public ceremonies."
On Wednesday, Murphy said districts could hold in-car graduations, provided everyone stayed in their cars, with the windows up, 6 feet apart. Read more: Gov. Murphy: Outdoor NJ Graduations Can Happen – In Your Car
"But I was clear in my letter that we will have in-person celebrations as soon as it's safe," Healy said. "That has always been my position."
Healy said the principals of the three high schools and three intermediate schools were going to be discussing the possibilities of in-car graduations with Toms River Police Chief Mitch Little on Thursday, because the logistics of such a ceremony are more complicated when the average graduating class of each Toms River high school is 500 students.
"Even if you assume one car per student — which wouldn't be the case — that convoy would be 2-1/2 miles long," he said.
"If you're in a community with one high school, it's a different situation," Healy said.
Board of Education President Anna Polozzo said graduating and promoting more than 2,000 students, between the three high schools and three intermediate schools "is a gargantuan job."
"I look one of those children in the eye every day; my daughter is a senior at Toms River High School South," she said. "We have to take into account what our (Ocean County) Health Department says. We truly need to make sure everyone's safe," including students, staff and families.
Healy said district officials are consulting with the Ocean County Health Department on a regular basis. As of Wednesday, there have been more than 7,600 Ocean County residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than 1,300 in Toms River, 100 in Beachwood, 10 in Pine Beach and 73 in South Toms River. There have been 571 county residents who have died from complications of the virus, including 103 in Toms River. There have been fewer than five deaths each in Beachwood and South Toms River, and none in Pine Beach according to county health officials. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know
"We've lost parents to COVID-19 who have passed away, young parents, quite a few of them," Healy said. "We have teachers whose husbands have been near death, and recovered or are still recovering."
"This (virus) is serious," he said. "We're not going to put anyone in harm's way. I want everybody in this district to be comfortable (attending a graduation ceremony)."
"I want to be sure we make these decisions in the best interests of everyone," Healy said.
"We can't jeopardize someone's life over this," board member Joe Nardini said.
"This year is something we've never experienced before," Polozzo said. "It's a very trying time and it's very emotional and I hope everyone will approach the situation with grace and compassion."
Healy reiterated the district will have in-person graduations when it's safe.
"If we're on a field in snow, and that's what people want, then that's what we'll have," he said.
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This article originally appeared on the Toms River Patch
