SANDPOINT — In the end, it would have been too many people and too little time to organize Sandpoint High School’s Grad Night 2020.

The annual tradition was canceled Wednesday due to local and state recommendations regarding COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines. The 2020 Grad Night celebration, previously scheduled for June 5, would have exceeded Idaho’s current social distancing guidelines by over 200 people.

Grad Night Chairman Annie Hendricks said the event was canceled because they lacked the time or services needed to coordinate usual activities. Grad Night typically requires at least 80 volunteers and they would also have to make arrangements for food and prizes.

“It was just heartbreaking because it’s one more thing the class is not going to experience,” Hendricks said. “It (was) a tough call but I have to rely on the health officials and it was just very concerning to them, that type of event where kids are touching everything and it just wouldn’t be a good idea at that time.”

Although Hendricks considered rescheduling Grad Night later in the year, most weekends at Bonner County Fairgrounds are already booked.

Grad Night has been a tradition for the Sandpoint community as long as Sandpoint High School Principal David Miles can remember. He attended Sandpoint High School’s Grad Night in 1995, where he remembers drinking soda pop, winning prizes and hanging out with his friends all night after the graduation ceremony.

“I want to let them know that I am just really sad about the way we had to end this school year and I certainly understand the things that seniors specifically are missing out on,” Miles said. “I would also want to let them know that we are working on various plans and we have no intention of just forgetting about them.”

Instead of Grad Night, Hendricks decided to cut checks from the money raised for the Grad Night from their auction in February. She plans on giving each senior who is receiving a diploma this year a portion of the proceeds.

Hendricks has a daughter who is a senior at Sandpoint High School. She has been dealing with numerous spring event and activity cancellations such as softball games, honor society, scholarship night and more.

“Our daughter didn’t even have a school to go to until this week because a lot of colleges are extending their deadlines for declarations,” Hendricks said. “It’s been a tough road for them over the last few weeks, adjusting to online learning, having to do scholarships, having to handle college, I think a lot of them are like all we want is a graduation ceremony and I know the superintendent and the school board are working very diligently to make that happen.”

Miles said Sandpoint High School has not canceled its graduation ceremony yet. He plans to follow recommendations from Panhandle Health District, Idaho State Board of Education and Lake Pend Oreille School District. However, he said seniors will be celebrated one way or another.

“Something will occur, Miles said. “We are not just going to bag everything and send everyone’s diploma in the mail and call it good. Regardless of the situation that we are in, there will be some type of ceremony that will recognize seniors and graduation and have the opportunity for people to participate in some manner.”

Miles said he will not announce his decision on the type of graduation ceremony until middle or late May. He continues to hold out hope for a ceremony that’s “as close to normal as possible.”

Sandpoint High School 2020 graduation is scheduled for June 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Sandpoint City Beach. Some back-up plans for graduation include moving graduation to June 13 or having a drive-up graduation ceremony for students to walk across the stage one by one.

“Every day just seems so different and every week seems like the whole country changes in response to COVID-19,” Miles said. “I am just waiting for that latest possible moment so that I can make the best possible choice.”

In addition to graduation, Miles has been looking into other celebration ideas. He collaborated with the student council last week to design celebratory yard signs for seniors.

Sandpoint High School’s student council designed the signs with Mountain Sky, a local printing shop in town, and used their funds to provide one sign per senior, free of charge.

Miles said the plan is to drop them off at every senior household, but when and how they are being delivered is a secret. Business and community members interested in displaying a sign can purchase a sign for $15.

Other end-of-the-year celebration ideas include showing a drive-in movie, where students can tune in to a specific radio frequency and watch the movie projected outside. Miles has also considered doing a senior week and having students come into school to get their honors cords. These events are still in the planning phase and nothing has been confirmed at this time.

To submit ideas for senior celebrations email David Miles at [email protected].