VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — This may not come as a surprise, but changes are coming to this year’s high school graduation ceremonies in Virginia Beach.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence sent a letter home to families Thursday saying graduation ceremonies will not proceed at the Convention Center as originally planned due to COVID-19.
Instead, a face-to-face ceremony hopefully will take place later this summer for the division’s 5,000 seniors. If that doesn’t work, the division will hold a virtual ceremony.
“We’ve sought feedback from senior class officers, principals, student activities coordinators, and graduation planning staff from all Hampton Roads school divisions, and reviewed models from other programs nationwide,” Spence said.
Many schools have already shared information with students about picking up caps and gowns. Students who have not heard about their cap and gown yet should stay posted, because they will likely receive information in the “coming days,” Spence said.
In the letter Thursday, Spence also said the school board needed to amend its fiscal year 2020-2021 budget because of a $27 million revenue shortfall, “a daunting number representing a loss that combines the city’s contribution to schools and estimated state funding.”
The revised budget no longer includes a 3.5 percent pay raise for staff or the additional of 69 full-time positions.
“Despite this situation we’re in, I want to assure you that VBCPS is on solid financial ground right now. To date, no one has lost their job, no one has been furloughed, and our buildings are and will be operational and safe. This is why we maintain the sound fiscal practice of having a fund balance at the end of the school year. Without these reversion funds and the sound financial decisions made over past years, we would be facing even more serious circumstances at this time,” Spence wrote.
For more information about student learning and the budget, visit the VBCPS website’s coronavirus page.
