BRADENTON, Fla. — To more safely accommodate families and graduates, the Manatee County School District has rescheduled graduation ceremonies at LECOM Park in Bradenton.
The ceremonies were originally scheduled for the Bradenton Area Convention Center, but with the recent increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the county and across Florida, the district said it's unfeasible to accommodate crowds of thousands of people in an indoor setting.
LECOM Park is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Bradenton Marauders. The district said the outdoor arena can accommodate large crowds but has an assigned seating and ticketing system than can help with social distancing.
The ceremony times have also been moved earlier to allow for cooler temperatures and lessen the chances for afternoon summer storms.
Here are the new dates and times for graduation ceremonies:
- Southeast High School: 9 a.m. July 27
- Braden River High School: 9 a.m. July 28
- Manatee High School: 8 p.m. July 28, Hawkins Stadium
- Lakewood Ranch High School: 9 a.m. July 29
- Palmetto High School: 9 a.m. July 30
- Bayshore High School: 9 a.m. Aug. 1
“Like everything associated with the COVID-19 crisis, we have had to be flexible and proactive to make sound and safe decisions that are in the best interests of everyone involved,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said. “There is no perfect time or venue for these ceremonies, but our ultimate goal is to give our graduates and their families the recognition they have earned for receiving their diplomas.”
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