EVANSTON — The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the last months of the school year and will prevent the traditional indoor high school graduation ceremonies at Evanston High School and Horizon High School; however, staff and parents at both schools have nevertheless worked to plan what are sure to be memorable ceremonies.

The Horizon High School ceremony will take place, as it has, on the evening of the last day of school on Friday, May 29. A covered porch will be set up in front of the school and graduates themselves will line up and walk to their seats, remaining 6 feet apart while walking and seated.

Family members will be able to attend by sitting in vehicles in front of the stage, with each graduate allowed one curbside parking space for the ceremony. Additional vehicles are permitted but will have to remain further back in the main parking lot.

Traditional speeches and ceremony components will take place as usual, although mostly via video. Graduates will be able to pick up their diplomas, laid out in advance on a table on the stage, and then return and stand next to their individual vehicles in the parking area.

Family members will not be allowed to exit vehicles, even for photographs, although photos will be taken throughout the event and shared with all graduates and family members. The school building itself, including restrooms, will not be open. School personnel will be masked and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.

The EHS graduation ceremony will take place as previously planned at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 30. However, instead of taking place in the school auditorium, the ceremony will take place at the football stadium.

Each EHS graduate will be allowed one vehicle, which will be parked on the field at the stadium. Only vehicles with a graduating student occupant will be permitted. Vehicles will be asked to begin lining up at the school prior to the ceremony, with gates on the school property opening at 9:45 a.m.

The line will begin at the north parking lot and move down Red Devil Dr. in front of the school and down into the lower parking lot. Vehicles can enter to access the line from either end of the school. Gates to the football field will open at 10 a.m. and close at 10:55 a.m.

Vehicles will be sorted into cars and larger vehicles, such as SUVs and trucks. Lower-profile vehicles will be directed to park closer to the scoreboard for better viewing. The largest vehicle allowed will be a 1-ton dual-cab pickup. No larger vehicles, such as RVs or trailers, will be allowed. Attendants will be present to direct vehicles to a designated parking spot, with a minimum of 6 feet between spots.

Those with trucks will be able to park to allow seating in the back of the truck and will be allowed to briefly exit the vehicle to sit in the back. Otherwise, family members are required to remain inside vehicles at all times. People are also not to be riding in the back of trucks when entering the stadium and will not be allowed to have more occupants in a vehicle than would be safely and legally allowed under normal circumstances.

The ceremony will include pre-recorded musical numbers and live speeches on stage broadcast on the scoreboard screen. To receive their diplomas, seniors will line up along the school, remaining 6 feet apart at all times, starting with the top 10% of the class and then proceeding alphabetically.

Individual awards will be presented as is customary. Students will cross the stage to receive their diplomas and will then exit the stage and circle around to the north side of the stadium to await certification of the diplomas and the traditional cap toss. Students will then return to their cars.

Family members at the EHS graduation will also not be able to exit their vehicles for photographs, but Toni J Studios photography will be on hand to take photos of students receiving their diplomas and awards.

To ensure everyone on hand is able to hear and see the ceremony, additional free access to the school’s wireless internet will be available on the ehs2020 account. It is recommended that those in the backseats of vehicles have some type of portable device to be able to use the wireless access and view the live video feed.

Portable restrooms will be available on the visitor side of the stadium, with handwashing stations near each restroom. For safety, the restrooms will be sanitized after each use; however, staff request that visitors only utilize the restrooms for emergency situations.

The school district is recommending that the elderly and others with pre-existing conditions that may place them at higher risk for COVID-19 complications come to the ceremony wearing a mask, especially if they have not previously been in contact with all members of the vehicle, and that those in the vehicle with high-risk individuals also don a mask.

Immediately following the ceremony, local law enforcement will escort all graduate vehicles on a parade through town. The parade will begin at EHS and proceed through town to the intersection of 10th St. and Lombard, where it will then turn down 10th St. and follow the traditional homecoming parade route.

Both ceremonies and the parade will also be broadcast live via KNYN local radio and online at mylocalradio.com/evanston.