The Van Buren County Board of Education voted to hold its high school graduation on Saturday, June 6 at 6 p.m.
Director of Schools Cheryl Cole said the graduation in Spencer is a way for its senior class to pass the torch to the incoming class.
“Van Buren County has a unique graduation where we incorporate juniors,” Cole said. “Usually it’s walking out through a candlelight ceremony. Of course, we probably won’t be able to do the candlelight ceremony unless we have it inside, but we still will still plan on having them walk through the juniors.”
Cole said moving the graduation from its May 15 date was due to government recommendations limiting crowd size. The Board of Education set the tentative date for graduations at its Wednesday night meeting.
“The governor’s executive order said that social gatherings are supposed to be ten or less through May 29,” Cole said. “So there would be more of a gathering at graduation than ten.”
Cole said that Van Buren County will do everything possible to hold a graduation.
“Even if they still make us limit the crowd, we will still have it on June 6,” Cole said.
In case of rain, the high school graduation will be on Sunday, June 7 at 5 p.m.
The Board also set June 6 at 3 p.m. for Kindergarten graduation. In case of rain, that ceremony will be held on June 7 at 2 p.m.