Waco ISD Now Allowing Guest To Attend Graduation

Waco ISD has made revisions to the 2020 graduation ceremony. 

According to the district's website, after receiving many complaints from parents and students, Waco ISD will now allow guests to attend the ceremony. 

Each student will be able to have two guests attend the graduation.

The district was able to put together a plan that will allow students to enjoy their big day while remaining safe. For the two guests to attend, they have put some rules in place. Check them out below. 

1) Guests must arrive with the graduate. Anyone seeking entry that is not accompanied by a graduate will not be let in. 

2) Graduate and guest must arrive at the designated time and entry gate. 

3) All participants must wear a mask covering the nose and mouth at all times. You are required to bring your own. 

For the full update, see the following press release issued by Waco ISD Superintendent Susan Kincannon, Ed.D.

May 19, 2020 

Dear Waco ISD Families,

Over the last week and a half, we’ve heard from many of our seniors and their families. They told us that it was incredibly important to them for our seniors to be able to have a limited number of guests at the graduation ceremonies at Waco ISD Stadium.

Over that time, we’ve also continued to study how we might be able to safely get guests in and out of the stadium while screening them for 11 possible signs of COVID-19. Working with local health experts, we developed a plan that we believe will protect the health and safety of the graduates, their families, and our staff. After reviewing it with the public health director earlier today, I am pleased to announce that each member of the Class of 2020 will be able to bring two guests with them to their graduation ceremony at Waco ISD Stadium.

As a reminder, the ceremony for the University High Class of 2020 will take place at 10 a.m. on May 29, and the ceremony for the Waco High Class of 2020 will be held at 10 a.m. on May 30.

Later this week, our seniors will receive detailed instructions on how our graduation ceremonies will be conducted. However, there are a few details that I would like to highlight now:

• We will not be distributing tickets for these events. Graduates and their two guests must arrive together and enter the stadium together. No guests will be allowed to enter the stadium unless they are accompanied by a graduate.
• Each graduate will have a designated time slot to arrive at the stadium and an assigned entry gate. These will be provided when more detailed instructions are distributed later this week.
• Prior to entering the stadium, each participant (graduates, their guests and employees staffing the event) will be required to complete a screening form and have their temperature checked. Individuals that have any sign or symptom of COVID-19 and/or a temperature greater than 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit will not be able to attend the ceremony. The screening form will also be included with the more detailed instructions.
• All participants must wear a mask or other face covering over their nose and mouth at all times. (Graduates may remove their masks for official photos.) Each participant should bring their own mask.

I am incredibly proud of seniors and their accomplishments. This isn’t just their milestone. It’s also a milestone for the family members, friends and mentors who have supported them along the way. I am happy that our seniors will have the people closest to them cheering them on as they graduate.

Finally, if you have a Waco ISD student (whether they are a senior or not), I hope that you’ll take a moment to complete a short survey about family engagement at https://bit.ly/2zN972F. It will take less than five minutes, and your feedback is important.

Sincerely,

Susan Kincannon, Ed.D.
Superintendent