In-person graduation to return to Royal, Othello and Wahluke high schools

ROYAL CITY — It won’t be exactly according to tradition, but the class of 2021 at Royal High School, Othello High School and Wahluke High School will get an in-person graduation ceremony.

Royal seniors will graduate at 7 p.m. June 4 at the RHS stadium, adjacent to the high school at 955 Ahlers Road. Grant County is still in Phase 3 of the reopening plan announced by Gov. Jay Inslee in January, and graduation meets the plan’s requirements.

That means attendance will be severely limited, and graduates and spectators alike will be required to observe social distancing rules. Each senior is being issued four admission tickets, and attendees will be required to hand in the tickets as they enter the stadium. The ceremony will be live streamed on social media.

Graduation will be preceded with a car parade. The car parade was part of graduation 2020, and RHS Principal Courtney McCoy said it was such a hit administrators decided to bring it back. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. at the RHS parking lot, and winds through town before returning to school.

Graduation ceremonies for Othello High School will be at 7 p.m. June 4 at Huskie Stadium, adjacent to OHS, 340 S. Seventh Ave. Each senior will receive four tickets, and attendance will be limited to people with tickets.

Graduation ceremonies will be streamed on social media, something the district has been doing for about five years. Additional details will be announced later.

Wahluke seniors will graduate at 6 p.m. June 18 at the WHS football field, 505 N. Boundary Road. Each senior will be allowed to invite two people.

Wahluke seniors also will get a car parade, which will follow the ceremony rather than precede it. Vehicles will leave from the WHS parking lot, head down Government Road to Portage Road and Fourth Street, then back to the high school.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.