Officials hold off on possible in-person ceremony
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Whitewater Unified School District officials agreed last week to stay the course and send off this year’s seniors virtually.
But there is still a possibility of an in-person ceremony late this summer, if circumstances warrant such an event occurring.
Although the Whitewater Unified School Board voted early this month to go the virtual route, discussion continued this week when the elected body held its regular monthly meeting May 26.
Whitewater High School’s graduation ceremony is still slated to take place June 7. Officials last week discussed a few related maneuvers, including the option of having school staffers deliver diplomas to students’ homes. Some may have the day sweetened with some keepsakes of their now old schools arriving on the day (from https://www.jostens.com/graduation/high-school/gifts-and-keepsakes and other makers), which can at least help bring a smile to some faces.
But the plans in motion have caused some angst. A parent at the meeting expressed dismay, pointing to a perceived lack of feedback from people beyond school administrators and elected officials.
The concerns swirled around a targeted date for this year’s postponed high school prom, which is on the calendar for late this summer, but could be canceled if positive COVID-19 numbers remain high. No date, however, has been set for a would-be in-person graduation ceremony.
During the discussion, WHS Assistant Principal Nathan O’Shaughnessy defended the decision not to have an in-person graduation ceremony on the calendar. Prom, he said, was easier to cancel, if necessary, than an in-person graduation ceremony.
“I think we can all agree graduation is so important to us,” O’Shaughnessy said. “But from my perspective … I’m just not willing to set a date and risk there being no graduation.”
School Board President Casey Judd defended the district’s course of action, doubling down on the need to take precautions even as the State Supreme Court earlier this month ruled Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer-at-Home order was unconstitutional.
“If it becomes possible … we will do that,” Judd said, referring to the in-person ceremony. “But picking a date right now doesn’t seem to solve anything. The Supreme Court didn’t change the coronavirus.”
School Board member Kelly Davis said she was comfortable leaving the in-person graduation as a “maybe,” pointing out the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has taken a similar course of action.
“This has not been an ideal situation for anybody,” Davis said.
Administrators also continued to weigh in on the difficulty in making a decision, but said they needed to make recommendations in tandem with city, county, law enforcement and health officials to ensure the best interests of the broader community remain in play.
District Administrator Jim Shaw said the decisions have not been made lightly and were reached after extensive consultation.
“In this pandemic age, we have to follow through with a process,” Shaw said.
WHS Principal Mike Lovenberg adamantly agreed the plan in motion is less-than-ideal, but said it was the only effective way at this time to honor the Class of 2020 in a safe, responsible manner.
“In 20 years time, I have never experienced an end of the school year like this,” Shaw said. “This is a way to try and honor our students.”
