ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Virtual graduations have started in St. Johns County, however, many parents aren’t giving up hope having an in-person ceremony for their senior students.
With the St. Johns County school district not budging on its decision to hold only virtual ceremonies, parents are turning to the greater community for help.
For Stacy Pendarvis, right now all she wants for her daughter, Chloe, and her classmates at Ponte Vedra High School is to enjoy one last moment together before they go their separate ways.
“They left for spring break and that was it, school’s done,” said Pendarvis, adding that no one got a chance to say goodbye to their classmates and teachers.
After sending emails to the school board and speaking at school board meetings to no avail at changing the current virtual graduation plans, Pendarvis and other parents realize it’s up to them to have a traditional graduation – and it’s going to take a village.
“It’s going to have to be something that we put together and so we need support from the community,” Pendarvis said.
She started a Facebook group and a survey for all St. Johns County parents and students to get their thoughts about still having traditional graduation when it’s safe.
According to her survey, more than half the students want parents to plan an in-person ceremony later in the summer.
For Pendarvis’s daughter Chloe, a virtual graduation doesn’t feel real.
She wants the more typical event, telling First Coast News, “It’s what would make me feel like I was graduating, and now that I’m not getting it, it really doesn’t feel like I have graduated.”
Other First Coast county school districts are giving their seniors hope they can walk across the stage and turn their tassels. That’s making students and parents feel all the more frustrated.
“Graduation was just going to be a huge milestone so it just kind of sucks that we don’t get it,” said Chloe.
Baker County is holding a virtual ceremony with a parade and a traditional ceremony later. Clay and Duval Counties will hold their physical ceremonies in July. Nassau County will have traditional graduations in late June but will push it to July if needed.
St. Johns County students want that opportunity too. Especially as the state begins opening restaurants, gyms, and the beaches. Pendarvis said with the state re-opening, Superintendent Tim Forson should at least considering the possibility of holding traditional ceremonies at a later date.
“They want to walk across the stage. They want to throw their caps up with their friends,” said Pendarvis.
Since St. Johns County won't budge, Pendarvis hopes another school district will offer its football fields, or the Saint Johns community can offer a space like the St. Augustine Amphitheater to make all of this happen.
First Coast News reached out to Superintendent Forson asking if there are any regulations preventing another school district or the greater community from hosting a physical graduation for Saint Johns County Seniors. A response has not been received.