Bend-La Pine Schools on Wednesday announced plans for in-person graduation ceremonies if Deschutes County is able to stay out of the “Extreme Risk” category for COVID transmission.
According to an email from district officials, Bend Senior, La Pine, Mountain View, and Summit high schools will celebrate outside in their school stadiums, while Realms and Skyline high schools will celebrate outdoors at off-site locations if Deschutes County’s COVID-19 risk levels are Low, Moderate or High.
If county metrics are in Extreme, all schools will celebrate with individual graduate ‘diploma walks’, inside, as schools did last year.
For counties to move to (or remain in) Extreme Risk, they must meet the county metrics for case rates and percent positivity, plus statewide hospitalization metrics: COVID-19 positive patients occupying 300 hospital beds or more, and a 15% increase in the seven-day hospitalization average over the past week.
Deschutes County’s case numbers put it in the Extreme Risk category, but statewide hospitalizations haven’t met the threshold set by the OHA. As of Wednesday there were 272 Oregonians hospitalized with COVID.
The Bend Tech Academy at Marshall High School is planning for a diploma walk on campus, regardless of county metric level.
For the in-person ceremonies, each graduate will get four tickets. If diploma walks happen, graduates will get five tickets for family and friends.
County risk levels run on a two-week cycle.
An announcement will be made during the week of May 17, after a review of that week’s risk level, with final graduation plans (indoor or outdoor).
- Bend Senior High School: Thursday, June 3 at 6:00 p.m.
- La Pine High School: Friday, June 4 at 6:00 p.m.
- Summit High School: Saturday, June 5 at 11:00 a.m.
- Mountain View High School: Saturday, June 5 at 2:00 p.m.
- Bend Tech Academy at Marshall High School: Monday, June 7 at 6:00 p.m.
- Skyline High School: Tuesday, June 8 at 6:00 p.m.
- Realms High School: Wednesday, June 9 at 6:00 p.m.
Learn more about graduation ceremony plans, tickets and details.
