Fresno County high school holds in-person graduation during pandemic

Families and friends hugged, students high-fived and the crowd loudly cheered as Immanuel High School held a graduation ceremony Wednesday night.

It happened amid an ongoing coronavirus pandemic with the private, Mennonite faith-based school electing to ignore Fresno County Department of Public Health guidelines to restrict public gatherings due to the potential spread of COVID-19.

“It was really, really important to us to have our high school graduation,” said Ryan Wood, superintendent of Immanuel Schools. “We’ve been in constant communication with our parents and our community, and this is what they wanted.

“We decided that if there’s one thing that we can give them with everything else they’ve lost, let’s do this.”

The ceremony celebrated 57 graduates and attracted roughly 800 to 1,000 people in the football stadium at the Immanuel Sports Complex southwest of Reedley. The stadium seats more than 3,000.

Most other years, Immanuel’s graduation has been held inside a church auditorium.

Wednesday night was different from the start: Masks and gloves were handed out at the gate, though administrators did not make them mandatory for guests and graduates to wear.

Distance was kept between families as they were seated throughout the stadium, Wood said.

And graduates of the Class of 2020 each sat a socially distant six feet apart, the superintendent added.

So did members of Immanuel’s junior class, which has traditionally attended the ceremony, too, as a way to encourage students to finish school.

“We made it clear: If you don’t want to participate, you don’t need to come,” Wood said. “For those in our community who wanted to be there, we offered ways to stay safe.

“Ultimately, it was up to adults and each family to police themselves.”

Wood said only one senior did not attend the ceremony, and the absence was not “COVID related.”

The ceremony began with public prayer, followed by speeches, including from Immanuel’s two valedictorians.

Graduates received their diplomas from a school counselor who wore gloves.

But instead of posing and shaking hands with a school administrator to celebrate the defining moment, these Immanuel graduates walked across a stage and met their families on the other side.

All the while, the “Pomp and Circumstance” graduation march played on.

‘We weren’t trying to make a statement’

“That was a special sight, seeing our graduates take photos with their families on stage,” Wood said. “That’s what our night was about – our graduates.

“We weren’t trying to make a statement. We were just wanting to hold an event that was important to many members of our community.”

Most schools in the central San Joaquin Valley have chosen to hold alternative ceremonies, including digital and drive-thru graduations where seniors get out of their vehicle to receive their diploma and take a photo.

Clovis Unified and Fresno Unified have postponed their in-person ceremonies to later in the year, with hopes of restrictions loosening.

Stone Ridge Christian High School in Merced County held an in-person graduation ceremony for its 25 seniors on May 21. About 200 people attended, and school officials said they consulted with community members on how best to hold the ceremony.

Mother’s perspective

Joanna Scarborough’s daughter was one of the graduates on Wednesday. Although the ceremony was largely traditional, there were a few things that differed from years past.

Masks and sanitizer were available, she said, though she didn’t see anyone wearing a mask. Families sat in assigned seating and there was an empty row between each one.

“We feel so blessed to be a part of this school and for my daughter to experience traditional high school graduation,” she said. “They worked so hard to get here and I’m glad we had the opportunity to celebrate them properly. I’m so proud of these kids and this school.”

The risks

The coronavirus has been known to spread rapidly in certain social gatherings.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 30 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, and there’s been a total of 211 people hospitalized and 37 coronavirus-related deaths in the county.

Wood said he talked “to the appropriate people” prior to setting up the event and the school’s board of directors approved of the ceremony.

Wood said he did not contact the Department of Public Health.

“It’s a tough balance,” Wood said. “We’re not trying to be disrespectful. But we also have a community that we wanted to take care of.”

Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer, said county officials only learned about the ceremony “the morning after it happened.”

“We haven’t heard any real close details about how exactly it was done. From what I understand, they did try to be as safe as possible,” Vohra said. “But again, the state’s guidance and our county guidance is that in-person gatherings are not allowed, and high school graduations are not allowed at this time.”

Vohra said he understands delaying or canceling commencement ceremonies is “a hardship,” but said it is “designed to keep everyone safe.”

“We’re really proud of all of our public schools that have been able to do really creative things with graduations,” he said.

Wood said it “would be horrible” if holding the ceremony resulted in spreading the virus.

“I don’t want to downplay the seriousness of the coronavirus,” Wood said. But, “there are also risks in life every day. And those are the risks everyone is going to run into at some point.”

The Bee’s Brianna Calix contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 6:20 PM.