Several school districts in DC region considering in-person graduation ceremonies this year

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - It’s looking more and more likely that at least some area students will be able to graduate at in-person ceremonies later this year. It’s a rite-of-passage many members of the Class of 2020 missed out on because of the pandemic.

"Right now, we do anticipate some form of in-person graduation," Loudoun County Superintendent Dr. Scott Ziegler said at a school board meeting Tuesday night, and it appears other districts are following a similar path.

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A spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools emailed FOX 5, saying, "FCPS is committed to providing an in-person graduation for the class of 2021."

A Prince George’s County Public Schools spokesperson wrote, "we are exploring options for in-person graduation ceremonies."

A D.C. spokesperson said, "DCPS is actively exploring the possibility of celebrating our graduates safely in-person, pending health conditions."

Meanwhile, Montgomery County pointed to three different options for graduations, two of which would include in-person ceremonies.

"It’s the milestone," said McLean High School Senior Sophia Powell, one of several students and parents who told FOX 5 that an in-person graduation would mean everything to them. "I think it would be really important at least for one day to get us all together to kind of celebrate our achievement."

Several area school districts said they’re considering using school football fields to host the graduation ceremonies. That’s partially because some of the locations that are typically used for graduations will now be unavailable, including EagleBank Arena on the George Mason University campus as well as DAR Constitution Hall in Northwest D.C.