Cobb schools to hold graduation ceremonies for students only

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East Cobb seniors caps gowns — *Wheeler High School seniors cheer on their classmates at cap-and-gown pickup.*

The Cobb County School District announced Monday that it’s in the process of scheduling in-person graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020, following new COVID-19 health guidance in Georgia.

But those commencement exercises will be for students only, “with strict Department of Public Health protocols in place,” and at only two venues: Wheeler High School in East Cobb and Harrison High School in West Cobb.

The district said in a release Monday afternoon more details will be announced by Friday, and did not indicate when the graduations will take place. Each ceremony will be livestreamed for parents and the public.

The district said 3,000-seat gyms at Wheeler and Harrison “will allow for proper social distance protocols, predictable weather, and technical ability to livestream.”

Health protocols include temperature checks and symptom screening for all students before they’re allowed entry to the gyms. All attendees will be asked to wear masks and there will be multiple hand hygiene stations.

The district postponed physical graduation in late April, and said it was still hoping to have ceremonies depending on health guidance.

Most Cobb high schools had some sort of cap and gown and diploma pick up event over the last couple of weeks.

Cobb schools has held most of its graduation ceremonies at the KSU Convocation Center. Wheeler has been one of the few schools to hold commencement at its own gym, Wildcat Arena.