Following the actions of parents to sue the school board, Laurel County graduating seniors and two parental figures will be part of a social distancing graduation ceremony.
This comes after parents sued the Laurel County School District in protest of a student-only ceremony.

The school originally planned to have staggered times for students of 10 to come to the high school to be videoed walking across the stage in their caps and gowns to receive their diploma. Now after several hearings that took place last Tuesday and Wednesday, Laurel Circuit Judge Michael Caperton ruled that the ceremony could include the student plus two more for the ceremony. So now the students will be able to have two people with them as they walk across the stage.

Laurel County School Superintendent Dr. Doug Bennett says adding the additional people into the ceremonies would delay the process and put stuff past their contracted work day.

Teachers’ contract days are up on May 21. This new process will require staff to work half days with the graduation ceremony on May 18, 19, 20 and 21. Staff will continue graduation walk-through ceremonies on May 26 through that week and possibly continue into the first few days of June.

Dr. Bennett says the extended time frame will cost the school system about $111,846.