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05/31/2020 12:00 AMUPDATE: On June 4, Branford schools chief Hamlet Hernandez notified parents that, based on new guidelines announced by Gov. Ned Lamont on June 3, a "second graduation plan" for Monday, August 3, is now under consideration. See related story.
After a May 28 posting announcing Branford High School (BHS) Class of 2020 June 14 -15 graduation exercises (see related story), The Sound's Facebook page quickly gathered dozens of comments from students and parents disparaging the plan. Some students felt input they'd shared with the administration over several meetings went unheard. Some frustrated parents said their input wasn't sought during the planning stage, while others asked for a delay, so that any potential loosening of COVID-19 restrictions later in the summer would allow a single event with safe social distancing at the school. On May 29, The Sound talked to BHS senior Delaney Baughman, who also participated in graduation input meetings with BHS administration; senior parent Doug Shaw, who is also a community non-profit leader; Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez, Branford Chief of Police Jonathan Mulhern and East Shore District Health Director (ESDHD) Mike Pascucilla to gather their perspectives on the plan.
ESDHD is the public health department for the towns of Branford, North Branford and East Haven. Pascucilla said his department provided local data, facts and science to help shape safe event protocols. He noted the BHS ceremony is similar to events being planned for North Branford High School and East Haven High School, the two other towns served by ESDHD. Pascucilla emphasized COVID-19 community spread is and will continue to be a concern in the coming weeks and months (see more from Pascucilla at "Officials Weigh In" later in this story).
BHS seniors and their families received a letter from BHS principal Lee Panagoulias on May 28 outlining the two-day commencement program. The plan calls for a Sunday, June 14 livestream video ceremony (speeches, awards, recognitions). On Monday, June 15, four waves of one-hour drive-up processions to the BHS field take place. Graduates in caps, gowns and facemasks will exit decorated vehicles four at a time and receive their diploma at one of four stages on the field. Parents can exit the vehicle to watch from a safe distance. At 6 p.m., Panagoulias will lead the Moving of the Tassel as a live streaming video to allow all graduates to participate.
Seniors, Parents Speak Out
Following the release of the BHS graduation plan on May 28, Baughman posted following statement on The Sound's Facebook page and also emailed it to the administration:
"As a BHS senior, the news we just received is devastating. Everyone is feeling the effect of this pandemic and it sure is bringing out the unexpected. During the past few weeks a group of seniors have been working with the administration on forming a plan that will give us seniors the best graduation we could have. As a group we gave the idea of having a "decision day parade" throughout our town with parents, families, and friends. This idea was a great way to get the community together to celebrate the last 12 years of our lives and the future that lies ahead for each and every one of us. After many different Google meets we were told to hold off on our parade idea because they were planning on using that idea for graduation. As mature young adults we decided to agree with them and not go behind anyone's back. Our only request was that it was not virtual, after hearing and seeing the plans of surrounding towns we knew what the guidelines were and what was possible. After our final meeting we were all very happy. Although we couldn't have the traditional graduation we all wanted, the BHS administration told us they were going to make the most out of what we could do while following the state guidelines. We were satisfied with the conversation and felt as if they were thinking the same way we were. The administration did not take any of our thoughts. They did what was easiest for them to do and totally disregard the long meaningful conversations we had. It is truly heart breaking for the entire BHS class of 2020 and our families. Due to the early decision that was unfairly made we would like to get our opinions across. On Monday June 1st at 11A.M. students of the BHS class 2020 are going to gather on the town green and express how we feel about this horrible decision. While wear masks and following the social distance guidelines we would to like to make our frustration heard and fight for the closure we deserve."
Baugham told The Sound that her personal Facebook post about the May 28 graduation plan announcement had generated some 125 comments by early May 29, with virtually each one coming from disappointed members of the BHS Class of 2020.
Baughman said seniors involved in the meetings with administrators to discuss ideas understood a traditional gathering couldn't happen. She said many ideas were thrown out during the first meeting, which was also the highest-attended with about 30 students participating.
"At that point, everyone kind of had a different look on what it could be; but our general statement was, 'If it has to virtual, might as well not do anything.' Because none of us want it to be virtual," said Baughman, adding the students also expressed the desire to instead have the event "pushed back" into later summer months, rather than have a virtual ceremony.
She said follow up meetings with a smaller student group included one where the students wanted to get administrator's help on planning a Decision Day in-town decorated vehicle parade. Baughman said the hope was that their teachers could attend to see students representing their college decisions.
She said the administration "... basically said to us we think it's a great idea, but you guys should do it. So we were starting to plan it."
During the last input meeting, Baughman said they were asked to hold off on planning a parade, because the administration was planning "something like it."
"So as a group of students, we were very happy with the results of the last meeting," said Baughman. "The whole time, they were acting like they were totally on board with us [and] like they were going to make it happen. We didn't know what was going to happen; we didn't know what could happen. We didn't ask for a real graduation, because we know that can't happen; [but] at the end of our meeting we had closure that we were going to have a parade or something not virtual. That we could be together without really being together."
She also questioned why a Monday was selected for the part of the graduation event that would involve parents; as many may have to work that day; especially frontline essential workers.
Baughman said numerous emails expressing frustration with the plan, including her own, were sent to the district by seniors and parents.
"I hope they see how many people really do not approve of this," she said. "I hope they just get a general understanding of this is such a disappointment to us. And not only did you not listen to us, but you really went behind our backs and took our ideas, put them in the trash and used our names saying we wanted [a] virtual [ceremony]. And we totally did not. We did not want that at all."
As parent of a BHS senior, Doug Shaw said he knows parents are disappointed about not being asked for their input. He said a survey was supposed to be provided but never came (see the superintendent's response in 'Officials Weigh In' later in this story).
"I know the kids are disappointed because they don't feel like they were heard [because] what they're planning on doing is exactly what the kids didn't want. As a parent, what we were disappointed in is that no one asked our opinion," said Shaw.
Shaw said he and many parents would prefer to have the ceremony delayed to a point in the summer when COVID-19 restrictions might lift to allow for some changes to the plan. In his opinion, if the delay did not develop into an opportunity to change the plan, then the proposal released May 28 could still take place at that later point. He said he'd reached out in advance with his input by sending a Facebook message request asking the Board of Education (BOE) not to rush; and make a decision after the governor announces more plans for reopening.
Shaw suggested that, if relaxed restrictions allow, a July or August event could take place at the BHS field, with all seniors present but socially distanced, in a closed ceremony which could be livestreamed for the community.
"Nobody is disagreeing with the Governor. He said it again at his press conference [two weeks ago] – not in June, but we're going to see what we can do for July and August [for outdoor graduations]. And that's what we want, a traditional, social distancing outdoor graduation," said Shaw.
Pointing to state reopening plans including those announced to start June 20, "...if we can open up casinos, if we have WalMarts opened, Home Depots open, indoor restaurants opening June 20...you're telling me we can't do an outdoor graduation with six-foot distancing?" said Shaw. "Smarter minds should be able to come together to work on this; and all for the benefit of the kids."
As a community non-profit leader with experience working with youth, Shaw said he's also concerned about the well-being of high school seniors experiencing many milestone losses. Shaw is currently president of non-profit Ben Callahan Sportsplex & Fitness Complex and, until stepping down in 2019, served as Soundview YMCA executive director for 17 years.
"You've got kids that lost their spring sports, their winter sports. They've lost their graduation; they've lost their prom. They've lost their Senior Skip Day – all the fun things that they would get to do. And they're isolated at home. They don't even know if they're going to college this fall. They are really, really struggling," said Shaw.
Officials Weigh In
When assisting BHS with input for the graduation, ESDHD's Pascucilla said local COVID-19 data was used to drive decisions based on science and facts. As of May 29, 327 cases and 43 fatalities had been recorded in Branford, he said.
"The bottom line is the pandemic is not over and the virus is still in our community; and there are people who have it and can spread it," said Pascucilla. "From a public health standpoint, we want to keep our community as safe as possible. This is population health; we're not looking at individuals. We're looking at the community as a whole."
While most who may contract COVID-19 may not become drastically ill; there are also those who may require hospitalization or suffer a fatality.
A graduation on the town green was ruled out because pulling together some 240 members of the BHS Class of 2020 and their families would create a gathering of about 1,000 people, said Pascucilla.
"We don't want cases to turn into clusters. If that happens, we could potentially have an outbreak situation which could lead to fatalities," he said. "What the science also tells us is that a lot of young people, somewhere between 35 and 50 percent, are asymptomatic; they are carriers. And if there was any kind of spread through an event like a graduation, they could go home and they could impact their [older relatives]."
While there is the possibility of some lifting of restrictions in the coming weeks, "...we really need to take the precautions," said Pasucilla. "And based on everything we're seeing, the restrictions, at least at this point, are going to be in place for a while. And even if they are lifted across the state, we have to consider that we live in New Haven County. And New Haven and Fairfield County are really an extension of New York; and we have been impacted more than anyone else in the country. You have to consider where we are."
Even if the event were to take place at a later point, such as East Haven's graduation, set for July, it would still pose risks, he said.
"Things are changing on a regular basis, but unless some of the restrictions are significantly lifted, the thought process was even in July there's going to be restrictions. If you look at the East Haven data, it's very similar to the Branford data; and they're looking at doing the same type of drive-up/virtual graduation that's very similar to Branford at this time," Pascucilla said. "Also, the longer you go on in the summer, some students relocate ...so the more time you let you go by, you may be losing graduates [and] if you push it into August, there's going to be a number of students who won't be able to attend because they're moving on to their next chapter in life."
He also noted some models are also showing there could be a "second wave" of COVID-19 cases by late summer.
"If you start going into August, some of the models show that we may get a second wave beginning in August," said Pascucilla, noting that all school chiefs are also tasked at this time with reorganizing district-wide programming and facilities to address COVID-19 come fall.
"So the superintendents have a daunting task ahead of them. They need to make the best decisions based on limitations, and they need to make it sooner than later," he said.
Pascucilla wanted to emphasize that, when making graduation plans for the Class of 2020, Branford's BOE and school superintendent "...really put a lot of time and effort and weighed everything out. [Hernandez] came up with a number of proposals that were very creative based on the input; and every time we went through them and looked at them from a public health standpoint and traffic control, they just weren't viable options given the limitations. The other thing people have to remember is we're still in the middle of a pandemic. It's not over. There are people who are still getting ill; and we just need to adhere to social distancing, wearing face coverings and taking precautions."
Branford Police of Chief Jonathan Mulhern said that the police department's scope in annual graduation planning is assisting with large-gathering site security and associated traffic control. With regard to a town-wide vehicle parade, current limitations and requirements of the pandemic wouldn't allow for feasible public safety during the June 14- June 15 timeframe, said Mulhern.
"I think if we take how many cars would be part of the parade, and how far it would go in town, there are certainly some aspects of liability associated with that; and it becomes unmanageable to a certain degree," said Mulhern.
He said past vehicle parades taking place during the earlier phase of COVID-19 "stay safe, stay home" orders were part of a nation-wide law enforcement agency effort to represent support for the community.
"What we saw, when we think of the children, with the quarantine and birthday parties and milestones in life and these issues they weren't able to experience, is that part of our job is to represent that we're here for you. So you started seeing police departments across the nation doing drive-by parades to engage the community and have some presence out there," said Mulhern.
Branford police discontinued the practice when Phase 1 reopening began lifting some restrictions. Mulhern said the latest language from the governor on what constitutes a gathering, combined with the potential of whether they would be permitted to occur on state roadways in town governed by the Department of Transportation, were also of concern and weighed into the decision not to support a drive-by graduation parade in town.
Superintendent Hernandez said the district shares in the disappointment that the Class of 2020 can't celebrate graduation in a traditional way; but the plans in place have taken many factors into consideration, including public and health safety constraints.
"Those are real constraints that we had to operate in," said Hernandez. "We tried to put together something that honors our students in a safe way, conforms to public health and adheres to public safety regarding parades."
Hernandez said the school administration and BOE took into consideration input gathered from the seniors, and comments received from parents informally (he believes the mentioned parent survey was one that was issued regarding flex learning).
"We've engaged. Not everybody got what they hoped for; including the administration, including the board. But it's not like it was done in a vacuum. We started with 'What would people like to do?' We made a promise we would try to do our very best to attain a ceremony that incorporated the things that were important to them. But life is not guarantees like that – we're dealing with an historic, seriously consequential virus," he said. "I'm confident that we have done our very, very best and that people had an opportunity -- our students through a survey and focus groups, our parents by sharing their ideas around different things that we can do in town. Those were all considered; they were aired, but in the end I had to rely on public safety and I had to rely on public health. We designed it, but we designed it with their input and with their oversight."
Hernandez said an outdoor graduation on the green was considered but couldn't be accomplished given public health and safety requirements due to COVID-19.
"We wanted to do that; and we entertained ideas such as cordoning off the green [but] there was no way to do that would not have yielded significant consequences of gatherings," he said.
Hernandez said characterizing the June 14 – June 15 graduation plan as being an entirely virtual event is "...just not true."
"On June 14th, there's a virtual component to it; and then on the 15th, there's a procession of the graduates [done] alphabetically. They'll be able to have their name called, get out of the car, get on the football field, receive their diploma have their pictures taken; and their parent will be able to see their child graduate," he said.
With regard to concerns that students won't see their teachers at graduation, Hernandez said that detail is planned as a part of the June 15 ceremony.
"Their teachers will be on site, but not congregated," he said. "It will set up very appropriately, and there will be staff members there, but they'll be socially distanced."
He said advance notice of the Monday, June 15 date for the conferring of diplomas will give parents time to make arrangements to leave work for their child's one-hour portion of the day.
"Typically, family make arrangements when there's a milestone in a child's life. Employers will be sympathetic. People understand. And the event is not an all-day event," said Hernandez.
The weekday may also lend itself to families considering holding graduation parties at a later date, when parties with larger group gatherings may be allowed as part of the upcoming COVID-19 guideline updates.
"We want people to be safe," said Hernandez. "We do want graduation parties to happen at a later date. We want families to be able to do this [instead of] trying to visit members of the family that are in the hospital because we did a graduation that made everybody feel good, but we created the conditions for wide community spread. This was really honest government working together for safety, public health and determining what can we do for our kids."
With regard to delaying the graduation event until later in the summer, Hernandez said the June date supports current local public health data and models showing a potential second wave of cases in August; as well as student post-graduation transition schedules which may call some members of the class away by that time to begin their higher education, military or work opportunities.
"What we see as the communities start to open up, we actually see a second wave [model]; and now, with the state opening up even more so on the first of June, those conditions are very unpredictable," he said. "Also, we have students [who] are doing things earlier to transition. So it's not guaranteed all our students will be here as a group."
Saying he understands the immediate emotions being experienced by the seniors, Hernandez added, "I hope that they at one point reflect on their lives and think 'Wow, that was an unbelievable time in my life.' And what parents can do is really be there for their children. Acknowledge their disappointment, acknowledge how difficult it is; but also to help them to persevere...this is a time to model, for our young adults, that you can do hard things. You can deal with disappointment and still celebrate in a way that is safe and that is responsible, and that is not only about you as individual, but the larger group."
The results are the plans which have been set forth for June 14 – June 15.
"We are working as a community, very collaboratively, to provide our children an opportunity to graduate in a way that takes into consideration public safety as well as public health. Those are demands that we've never had before," said Hernandez. "I know that we've done the very best. Sometimes hard decisions are really disappointing."