LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Friday, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Marty Pollio recommended in-person and outdoor gradations for high school seniors. The district board will take up his proposal at its next meeting this Tuesday. 

“The graduating seniors of 2021, with our board approval, will be having in-person graduating ceremonies, will have the opportunity to walk across the stage, receieve their diploma, take that picture," Pollio told reporters. Last year, more than 6,000 JCPS seniors graduated during virtual ceremonies. Pollio believes a socially-distanced format will allow seniors to safely graduate in person.

JCPS Chief of Schools Robert Moore said this Friday, “Our plans call for the graduations to be held in small groups on football fields. If a school does not have a football field they can be held at Doss High School football field."

Under the proposal: 

• Schools would have to make every effort to hold ceremonies on their football field.
• Schools that do not have an outside stadium (J. Graham Brown School, Liberty High School, Phoenix School of Discovery, and Jefferson County High School) would use the facility at Doss High School.
• The graduating class for each school would be divided into groups appropriately sized to meet the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) guidelines and venue/stadium capacity.
• Each graduate would receive an allotted number of admission tickets to distribute to family members. The total number of tickets will be based on current CDC/KDE guidelines for outside stadium bleacher-style seating.
• Ceremonies would be conducted on Thursday, May 27, 28, and 29. The proposal sets June 1 as a rain make-up date.

Schools may have between one and five ceremonies, depending on the number of groups of graduates in the class. 

Each student will receive a limited number of tickets for family members to attend. This number has not been determined. 

"...As many as we can do with social distancing, but our families are going to have to know there will be a limitation. There will not be an unlimited amount," Pollio said Friday. Pollio does expect the board to support his proposal.