Dolores seniors are set to graduate Thursday night, but with a twist to the original COVID-adjusted plans.
The Dolores School District Re-4A had decided to hold a Drive-In Graduation followed by a parade through town. But after the state released new details on graduation ceremonies, the Montezuma County Public Health Department, which had originally agreed to Re-4A’s plans, revoked the approval, according to Dolores Superintendent Lis Richard.
Graduates had planned to spread around the high school football field while family watched the commencement ceremony from parked cars.
Now, the district will kick off the celebration at 6 p.m. with a parade through Dolores, led by local first responders. Community members and well-wishers are invited to line Central and Railroad avenues to cheer graduates as they proceed through town.
Banners for each graduate are already posted along Railroad Avenue.
After that wraps up, families and friends will be able to view a special graduation ceremony video online. For this video, school staff and administrators decorated the Dolores gym, and graduates were then individually scheduled this week to have their portion of the ceremony filmed, according to Richard.
Mark Baxter, the district’s technology director, is currently working to splice the clips together to create one video, which will be shown through Zoom to the graduates Thursday at 7:30 p.m., and then be posted on the district website for the public to view.
“We are looking forward to honoring our graduates on Thursday with a parade through our town,” Richard told The Journal. “We are proud of each student who has persevered through this trying time and completed their path. It has been an honor to work with them!”
A drive-through eighth grade promotion is also scheduled to happen the following week on May 20 at 4 p.m.
ealvero@the-journal.com