Lancaster County students, parents protest ‘totally unfair’ graduation plans
Nearly 2,800 people have signed an online petition to change graduation plans for Lancaster County seniors.
Graduating senior Matthew McCall started the petition to protest the district’s rules for the ceremony. McCall is a student at Andrew Jackson High School, according to his Facebook profile.
“The graduation rules in place for the Class of 2020 are very unnecessary and do not have the best interests of the graduates at heart,” reads the petition.
Lancaster County School District graduation plans were announced on April 29.
Each high school will host a graduation ceremony in their stadium. Ceremonies are 10 a.m. as follows:
- Tuesday, May 26 - Buford High
- Wednesday, May 27 - Andrew Jackson High
- Thursday, May 28 - Indian Land High
- Friday, May 29 - Lancaster High
- Saturday, May 30 - make-up day if needed
Each student will receive two tickets for guests. This is based on guidelines from the S.C. Department of Education, according to the school district. Guests will sit with their graduate.
“We’re going to do everything we can to maintain social distancing,” Superintendent Jonathan Phipps said in a video message shared to the district’s Facebook page.
Temperatures will be taken by EMS as people arrive. Face masks are recommended, according to the district.
Specific details on graduations are posted on each high school’s website.
Lancaster High School’s plans call for guests to walk with or near their graduate as they receive their diploma, according to the high school’s website. Graduates and guests must immediately leave the stadium upon receiving their diploma and packets.
The rules are similar for all four high schools.
The petition describes the two ticket rule as “totally unfair for families” and suggests students be allowed four tickets.
“Many families have step-parents, siblings, and/or grandparents that have had a tremendous impact on a graduate’s life,” states the petition.
The petition also asks that students be allowed to sit spaced apart on the field, by rank, rather than in the stands with their guests.
“This completely disregards the hard-work the graduates have put in the past four years. By not sitting in order of rank, the district is telling our graduates that hard-work and dedication doesn’t matter,” reads the petition.
The petition also argues that asking graduates to leave the field after receiving their diploma is unfair.
“The last graduate will have no one in the stadium but their two (guests) and a few staff members to cheer them on. Again, this is saying our graduate’s hard work and dedication does not matter,” states the petition. “We suggest after calling every graduate’s name go back and recall them so each graduate and their guests can exit safely and every graduate will have the same number of people there cheering them on.”
Parents are among the 2,748 people who had signed the petition as of Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m signing because my 2020 graduate who I love deserves the graduation he wants and will remember all of his life,” wrote Kristin Rodgers.
Autumn Barrett wrote: “I’m signing because I myself have 4 parents since my parents divorced. It’s hard to choose only two of them.”
Phipps said Wednesday the district is fortunate to hold an in-person ceremony.
“We are excited that we are able to offer as close to a traditional graduation as we can,” he said.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Lancaster County students, parents protest ‘totally unfair’ graduation plans."
