Othello Royal City Warden Mattawa

SOUTH COUNTY — With high school graduation quickly approaching, area school districts are making alternative plans to the traditional graduation ceremony, thanks to COVID-19. Below is information about graduation for the south county school districts.

The Othello School District has announced that it is postponing graduation until Friday, July 17. The decision was made based on a survey of the district’s seniors, according to a letter Othello School District Superintendent Chris Hurst wrote to staff on May 21. Hurst said that the graduation ceremony will have to follow Washington’s reopening plan and guidelines.

“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be part of your lives (seniors) and I am excited to celebrate the culmination of your 13-year journey and earning your high school diploma,” Hurst said in an email interview. “Congratulations!”

The last day of school for students in the Othello School District will be June 11. There will be no summer school.

Anyone with questions should contact the Othello School District at (509) 488-2659 or visit the district’s website at othelloschools.org.

The Royal School District will hold its high school graduation ceremony on Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m.

“We’re following the state guidance and have worked with the local health district,” said Royal High School Principal Rick Follett.

The plan is for seniors to have a graduation parade starting at the Royal Intermediate School parking lot. They will drive around Royal City along a designated parade route that includes Apple Avenue, Camelia Street and Ahlers Avenue. At the end of the parade, seniors will drive through the locations of their former schools before returning to the intermediate school parking lot.

Seniors will then walk across the stage and receive their diploma covers, have their name announced and have an opportunity for pictures. The district will be ensuring that proper social distancing is maintained. At 9:30 p.m., a fireworks display will be put on.

“When working with the class and parents, walking across the stage was very critical and they wanted it included,” Follett said.

As things with the COVID-19 crisis are fluid, Follett said that he is planning to go ahead with the ceremony unless something drastically changes. If the district has to cancel the current plans, they should probably know by Monday, June 1, he said.

“We will have a better idea then,” Follett said. “Things change daily with this COVID-19. Even the guidance changes at random. We will get communication out as soon as we know. It’s kind of like canceling a baseball game. You don’t want to until you absolutely have to.”

Community members are asked to support the Royal High School seniors as they make their way around town on June 5. Follett said that any show of support is welcome, including banners, signs and noisemakers.

“Make a celebration for the kids,” Follett said. “I want the community to come out and safely celebrate the graduates during the parade. Any sign of support would be awesome.”

For more information, visit royalsd.org or call the district office at 509-346-2222.

The Warden School District is also postponing their graduation ceremony, according to Warden School District Superintendent David LaBounty.

“We got feedback from parents and students,” LaBounty said. “They prefer to postpone and would like to have it as much as normal as possible.”

LaBounty also said that the district is doing as much as they can to celebrate their seniors, from social distanced activities to yard signs.

“It’s been a 13-year process to get these kids to this point,” LaBounty said. “We’re trying to celebrate as much as possible. These are great kids.”

The district is hoping to provide an in-person ceremony that is as similar to the traditional graduation ceremony as possible. The exact date for graduation has not yet been determined. The Warden School Board is hoping to hold graduation in July.

“We will have a graduation,” LaBounty said. “We’ll do something. What that will be, time will tell.”

The last day of school will be June 18.

For more information, visit the district’s website at warden.wednet.edu or call 509-349-2366

The Wahluke School District will hold its high school graduation on Friday, June 12 at 6 p.m. Seniors will drive around town in a parade and return to the high school parking lot where they will receive their diplomas.

For more information, visit www.wsd73.wednet.edu.

Rachal Pinkerton may be reached via email at rpinkerton@suntribunenews.com.