Parents, Guests Now Allowed At Howell, Freehold HS Graduations

HOWELL, NJ – Freehold Regional High School District graduates will be able to bring up to two guests to commencement ceremonies, according to district officials.

In a letter sent to families earlier this week via email, parents and friends were barred from attending. The policy has since been updated and will accommodate for up to two guests per student as the district will now split graduation into two separate events. Ceremonies are now slated for July 28 and July 29, with each student assigned one date.

"Details regarding an individual's assigned ceremony date and time will be provided soon," District spokesperson Rebecca Policastro wrote in an email. "In accordance with the Governor's Executive Orders including the per-person limit for an outdoor gathering, only the graduate and 2 parents/guardians/guests may attend the ceremony. All graduates and parents/guardians/guests are required to wear face coverings.”

The original announcement barring guests was sent out to district families earlier this week. Initial plans were set for one ceremony to take place for students only, with a livestream recording promised to graduates’ loved ones. A copy of the email posted to Howell Happenings NJ on July 6 garnered mass criticism from local parents, sparking concerns that many guardians will miss an important milestone.

“To allow all students from the Class of 2020 to graduate together, the abbreviated, in-person program will be held for students ONLY,” the announcement read.

Policastro told Patch on Wednesday that the ceremony plans have since been updated to allow for parents and loved ones to attend the occasion.

“Our initial plan for in-person graduation reflected the input we received from members of the Class of 2020 who stated they wanted one last time to be together with their classmates,” wrote Policastro. “After listening to the feedback of parents and students regarding the student only ceremony, we have decided to amend our in-person graduation plans. We will now divide the Class of 2020 into separate groups to allow parents/guardians to attend.”

The update comes days after statewide capacity restrictions were raised on July 6 to accomodate 500 individuals at outdoor gatherings. All attendees will be required to wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing guidelines at the ceremonies. Read more: NJ In-Person Graduations: Here Are The New Rules Amid Coronavirus