The Class of 2020 is missing out on a lot of experiences, but graduation shouldn’t be one of them, Powell school officials say. As the global COVID-19 pandemic forces schools to remain closed through April, Park County School District No. 1 leaders hope to still hold a graduation ceremony, even if it’s delayed.

“I believe those kids deserve to walk across the stage in front of their friends and family,” said Superintendent Jay Curtis. “Whether it’s in May or whether it’s in July, they deserve a ceremony.”

Graduation is a culmination of 13 years of hard work, he noted. As of now, Powell High School and Shoshone Learning Center’s graduation is still scheduled for May 24.

“If it doesn’t happen, the secondary plan is to just postpone it,” Curtis told the Powell school board last month.

Local students are continuing their schoolwork remotely as it remains uncertain when — or even if — Wyoming students will return to school this year. Gov. Mark Gordon has extended school closures through at least April 30.

High school administrators will be scheduling a Zoom meeting for all Powell seniors and their families to discuss contingency plans, Curtis said Monday. The hope is to have a meeting this week.

“We would like, to the greatest extent possible, for this to be a plan made with the seniors, not for the seniors,” Curtis said.

The superintendent said he’s heard some schools talk about doing virtual graduation ceremonies or having each senior drive down the street as people wave at them.

“To me, I just think that we should always plan to have a ceremony in honor of them, whether it’s now or later,” he said, adding, “... even if it stretches into August, then I think we postpone it to August.”

The Powell school board discussed the possibility of setting a date for a summer graduation ceremony, if the need arises.

Chairman Greg Borcher said letting people know a June or July date would help families who might be going on vacation or making other plans.

If the pandemic continues into the fall — when college classes begin —  then the Powell school district may have to look at alternatives to a ceremony, Curtis told the school board.