It all depends on future directives from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and state health officials.
Officials with the Butler County high school said the annual commencement ceremony, which is usually held in May, is now tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. July 9 at Barnitz Stadium, with a rain date of July 10 at the same start time.
“The commencement ceremony is a rite of passage for graduates. However, at this point, it is unwise to have graduation in May and put people at risk,” Middletown High School Principal Carmela Cotter said in a statement.
“Therefore, we have established July 9 as our replacement date for graduation and July 10 as our inclement weather date. We do not know if we will be able to have a ceremony in the near future or if we will be forced to utilize an additional alternative,” said Cotter.
“However, we are committed to honoring our graduates during this challenging time. Please be patient with us as we watch together for more direction from the (health) experts,” she said in reference to state medical officials and their mandates that last month led to the ordered closing of all public and private K-12 schools in Ohio.
Middletown now joins fellow Butler County school district Lakota, which also recently announced tentative graduation dates during the summer for its two high schools - Lakota East and Lakota West.
An estimated 360 Middletown High School students are expected to graduate, said Cotter.
Officials from some other area school districts are waiting for the next round of state directives regarding whether schools will be re-opened May 1, as previously scheduled or at a later date, or closed for the remainder of the school year.
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