Davis School District Will Allow ‘Walk-Through’ Graduations
May 6, 2020, 9:43 PM | Updated: Jun 13, 2022, 4:46 pm
FARMINGTON, Utah – The Davis School District Board has made adjustment to their decision about virtual graduation ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic. They decided to allow “walk-through” graduations. Each high school will have to figure out their own plan.
The walk through plan would mean graduates could walk through an empty stadium or auditorium with some family members as their name is read, and pomp and circumstance is played.
In Farmington, it will mean walking through the stadium over the course of three different days.
It seems to be the model for a graduation ceremony in the works at Desert Hills High School in St. George.
“I think having the family be a part of it is a big thing,” said Tiffany Smith.
She is part of a group of parents from Layton High School who have been pushing for this the last few weeks.
Smith said the decision to allow something close to a traditional ceremony was big news.
Tiffany Smith is one of several Layton High parents that were pushing for graduation changes.
“For them to make that change says a lot, that they’re trying to accommodate in these hard times,” she said. “It’s not easy.”
It will be difficult to organize. There are 10 high schools in the Davis School District, and there could be just as many plans.
Chris Williams, Davis School District director of communications, said each school will have to be careful to maintain state guidelines and avoid any large gathering.
“It will take an extra effort,” he said. “We’re happy to do that, but it will take two to three days at each school to pull this off.”
Chris Williams, Davis School District director of communications.
The idea has been spreading.
“We feel like we should be doing the most for our kids, instead of the least,” said parent Shauna Havey. “If something can be done, we want to ensure that it’s done.”
Havey is one of several parents asking for a similar consideration in the Weber School District. Her son Mason will graduate from Roy High School.
“It sucks that we don’t have the whole last part of our senior year and on top of that we don’t get a real graduation,” Mason lamented.
High schools across the state have created signs to honor their graduating seniors.
Davis School District will still have a virtual graduation in addition to the walk-throughs.
The Weber School District was also planning on a virtual graduation, with the chance for some sort of traditional ceremony later in the summer.
