The Maui News

Hawaii public school graduations will be held outdoors with proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test required, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday.

The DOE released guidelines for in-person school commencement and transition ceremonies, which have been held in drive-thru or hybrid formats over the past two years of the pandemic.

“Graduations are such a special milestone for our students and families, especially in Hawaii, and I know it has been difficult having modified ceremonies for the past two years,” Interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a news release. “We look forward to providing our graduates with the ceremonies that they so deeply deserve while still maintaining the health and safety of our students and staff as a top priority.”

In addition to standard health and safety protocols and county social gathering regulations, commencement events must adhere to guidelines that include:

• Making student participation voluntary. Schools may consider providing a virtual option for people who do not wish to attend an in-person event and to help promote smaller crowd sizes.

• Holding the ceremony outdoors or in a venue with adequate ventilation or fans/filtration systems. Third-party venues that comply with county social gathering rules are allowed.

• Requiring all participants to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours before the ceremony.

• Allowing graduates to bring a pre-set number of household members as guests, which will be determined by each school based on capacity. No additional guests will be allowed.

The guidelines also call for masks at all times, handwashing and/or sanitizing stations and cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces.

Schools that are unable to host a safe in-person ceremony have options that include student-only in-person ceremonies with virtual options for guests, an additional ceremony or staggered drive-thru or drive-in ceremonies.

Graduation and transition ceremonies are still in the planning stages, and dates and other details will be announced in April, the DOE said. The guidance is subject to change if there are any developments that would compromise the health or safety of students and staff.

For the full list of guidelines, visit hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE Forms/Emergencies/2022-02-23-Commencement and Transition Ceremony Guide lines for School Year 2021-22.pdf.