Modified graduation should go on as scheduled

Lake Roosevelt’s COVID-19 era graduation should go on as planned despite Okanogan County currently being in Phase 1 of Washington State’s Safe Start Recovery Plan. 

Graduation is scheduled to be held June 13 at 7 p.m. at the Lake Roosevelt football field where social distancing guidelines will mean limited interaction, attendees staying in their cars, graduates walking on and off the field one at a time to collect their diplomas, and slideshows and speeches being projected onto large screens on the field. 

Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School Principal Kirk Marshlain said that he is “very hopeful” that graduation will happen as scheduled, despite Okanogan County not yet being in Phase 2, which relaxes social distancing rules a bit and would allow for the graduation to happen. 

“I have been looking for updates and it sounds like, as of right now, we will be good to go by June 13th,” he told The Star on Monday. “If we are not in Phase 2 by next Friday, we will have to explore postponing until Okanogan is in Phase 2 or doing a different plan that is allowable in Phase 1. I would say it’s probably a medium-low likelihood that it will be postponed.” 

One aspect of the graduation that has changed is the procession route for cars going in and out of the football field parking lot at the beginning and end of the ceremony. 

Formerly the plan included SR-155 in the route, but complications in how to regulate traffic along a state highway led to the decision to change the route to remain on Civic Way and Central Drive near the school. 

There will be no after party or other such post-graduation gathering held by the school following the ceremony.