Suffern Class of 2020 disappointed with revamped graduation plans

Instead of canceling or postponing, the 300-plus students will walk across the stage in an empty gymnasium and pick up their diplomas from a table.

News 12 Staff

May 15, 2020, 11:04 PM

Updated 1,663 days ago

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Members of the Suffern High School Class of 2020 were hoping graduation would be postponed, but school administrators have other plans in mind and it's not sitting well with the seniors.
Instead of canceling or postponing, the 300-plus students will walk across the stage in an empty gymnasium and pick up their diplomas from a table. They will then be allowed to take a photo with a maximum of four relatives. The entire ceremony will be taped and posted on the school's website in June.
Students like Katie Katz are not happy with the plan.
"For me, graduation is a right of passage," says Katz. "I don't feel like high school is complete without that experience."
Interim Superintendent Lisa Webber says under the extreme circumstances, it's the best the district can do.
"As an administrator, we have people reach out and say, 'Can't you do this, can't you do that?' And we can't because the rules prevent us from doing that," says Webber. 
Some of the students say they want nothing to do with the so-called individual graduation. The students have launched an online petition demanding that the graduation be postponed.
Senior Matthew Boggman believes with a little ingenuity, his graduating class can get what they deserve within the limits of the law.
School officials say nothing is set in stone for the graduation. This week they sent surveys to further solicit the opinions and advice from the Class of 2020.
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