We are excited that we will be able to celebrate the Class of 2020 in an outdoor graduation ceremony at 8 p.m. Friday, May 29, at Greenville High School's T.A. "Cotton" Ford Stadium. The graduation will be livestreamed on Facebook to allow friends and family to watch online.

The Class of 2020 is an extraordinary group of young people, and they and their families and loved ones have demonstrated strength, resilience, and patience through an extremely difficult series of challenges this spring. We are planning a special ceremony for them. 

We will require social distancing precautions and other rules required by Gov. Greg Abbott. Here are the details:

• Each graduate will receive a ticket that will admit 5 family members or guests to the ceremony. This complies with the governor's guidelines that specify a limit of 5 guests to accompany the graduate to the ceremony.
• The guest ticket will have the graduate's name on it, and it will be distributed at the senior breakfast Thursday, May 28 in the Greenville High School parking lot. 
• Graduates need to arrive by 7 p.m., where they will check in and go to the indoor practice facility.
• Gates will open at 7 p.m., and the family/guest group (five or fewer) must enter the stadium together.  There will be eight entrances to the stadium, which will open at 7 p.m. Please leave plenty of time to be seated.
• Ushers will help family/guest groups find seats, leaving a space of 6 feet or more between the groups.
• Graduates will be seated on the field, at least 6 feet apart.
• In the interest of public safety, attendants are required to wear face masks to the ceremony. Graduates will be supplied with customized cloth masks. 
• Greenville High School and New Horizons High School parents will receive a diagram of the field showing where graduates are seated so they will be easier to spot by yard line.
• Hand sanitizer or hand washing stations will be available at all entrances.
• Please stay until the end of the ceremony, as there will be a special finale for the graduates and guests.
• When exiting, please be patient and respect social distancing. Please wait until reuniting with graduates in the parking lot to take family photos.
• In compliance with the governor's guidelines, before entering the stadium, all guests at graduation will be required to state that they do not have any of the signs or symptoms of COVID-19 (per state guidelines). Anyone exhibiting the following may not attend the ceremony:

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Loss of taste or smell
• Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• Known close contact with a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 if exposure to the active confirmed case occurred within the last 14 days.

To read the governor's guidelines in full, click HERE.

We all realize this year's graduation ceremony will be different due to the many public health rules. We thank you for your patience, and we invite you to join us in focusing on our graduates and their bright future.

Thank you for helping make this year's event a success!