R-II Administrators Present Alternatives For Graduation, Summer Prom

Two alternative plans for graduation and prom were considered during a virtual meeting of the Ste. Genevieve R-II School District Board of Education on April 21.
Dr. Julie Flieg, superintendent of schools, unveiled two options for providing students with a commencement ceremony and a prom during the summer, if the COVID-19 shutdown has ended by then.
Both R-II and Valle Catholic schools have not had classes on campus since March 17, due to the pandemic.
May 16 is the originally-scheduled date for graduation. Flieg addressed other options for the ceremony.
“If we are unable to provide them with an appropriate ceremony to celebrate their accomplishment, we have an alternative plan,” she said.
The first option would be to move graduation to 8 p.m., Saturday, June 20.
“But we also know that we have about 12 seniors who are going into the military and who all have leave dates that have been pushed up by six weeks or even more,” Flieg said. “The first senior we know of who has to leave for the military is May 18.
“Do we want to go ahead on May 16 — if we are unable to do the entire class — to do a small graduation ceremony for seniors who are entering the military absentia for the senior and their parents?”
If so, the ceremony would be at 2 p.m. rather than 8 p.m.
She said more information would be provided.
Plan 1 would also set prom for June 19. It would be 7 to 11 p.m., at a location to be determined.
“With everyone rescheduling weddings, we’re not sure where we’ll wind up finding a place,” Flieg said.
Plan 2 would come into play if the state is still locked down in June. In that plan, graduation would be Saturday, July 25, with a May 16 military graduation. Prom would be on Friday, July 24, the night before commencement.
Flieg was asked what she thought the likelihood was of a May graduation being held for all the seniors.
She replied that she would be following guidelines and recommendations from the Ste. Genevieve County Health Department and the Centers For Disease Control (CDC).
“Do I think it’s going to happen on May 16? Probably not,” Flieg said.
Board member Martha Resinger asked if social distancing would be enforced if a May 16 graduation is held.
“My best guess is yes,” Flieg replied. “Which means there would be a very limited gathering.”

See complete story in the April 29 edition of the Herald.