HomeMy WebLinkAbout20201365.tiffOFFICE OF BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PHONE: 970-336-7204
FAX: 970-336-7233
1150 O STREET
P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, COLORADO 80632
May 6, 2020
To Whom It May Concern,
We know that graduation is a milestone event for high school students, and during this pandemic, plans have been altered drastically. As
school districts work to find a way to recognize their high school seniors, several superintendents within the county have reached out for
guidance. Weld County Government is happy to share best practices and guidance with our school districts but ultimately wants each
school and school district to be empowered to make the best choice for their school and their community. That said, neither the Weld
County Board of Commissioners nor the Weld County Health Department will require a plan for high school graduation
ceremonies.
As you move forward to develop a plan that works for your schools, please refer to following prevention and best practice guidance to help
ensure a successful graduation ceremony.
• Physical distancing is still an important prevention method as we continue to protect each other from the spread of COVID-19.
Staff, students and family units* should be spaced at least six feet apart from others. This could impact the number of
parents/observers depending on the location of your event. You may want to consider the difficult but necessary option of limiting
the number of parents/observers in order to help you meet the physical distancing guidance.
• Because of the potential need for some ceremonies to limit parents/observers, consider streaming the event or recording it so it can
be shared or viewed by family and friends and/or consider possibly delaying your graduation ceremony to later this summer.
• The use of face masks does help reduce the amount of droplets expelled during coughs and sneezes and should be encouraged by
participants and observers. Naturally, as students receive their diploma a mask can be removed for photographs.
• Place signage at the event site reminding people to not attend the graduation ceremony if they are feeling ill, have a cough or fever
or are otherwise uncomfortable attending the event.
• Hand sanitizer should be provided for parents/observers as they enter the graduation ceremony location and for students after they
walk across the stage and receive their diploma.
• Gatherings** of 10 or more people before, during or after the event should be discouraged; maintaining physical distancing should
be followed.
*family unit — people who are living in the same house are considered a family unit and do not need to maintain the six-foot physical
distancing from each other; family members who live in different houses would not be considered a family unit in this situation.
**gatherings in this context are groups of non -family units in close proximity interacting socially. For example, 15 people standing in line
at the grocery store is not a gathering, but 15 people at a bar-b-que in a person's backyard would be a gathering. A graduation ceremony is
not a gathering.
Sincerely,
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
aarbara Kirkmey
Mike Freeman, Chair
James
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Kevin D. Ross
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2020-1365
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