Pittsfield Schools Plan for Virtual Graduations, In-Person Still a Possibility

Public Schools will celebrate through virtual graduation ceremonies on Sunday, June 7. We also look forward to the presentation of in-person diplomas after July 18, pending permissible conditions according to Superintendent Jason McCandless.

The virtual ceremonies will be aired on PCTV at Channel 1302 (see pittsfieldtv.org for details) on Spectrum Cable, and on YouTube at shorturl.at/iHIX6. Pittsfield High School’s virtual graduation will air on Sunday, June 7 at 1:00 PM, and the Taconic High School’s program will begin at 2:00 PM on the same day.

The accomplishments of the Class of 2020 are second to none. This group of students, born into a world shaped by the horrible events of September 11, 2001, and graduating from high school in the midst of a pandemic, have shown grit, determination, and a focus on serving their community and looking out for one another from their first day of kindergarten. We thank them, their guardians, parents, families, and teachers for their class, resilience, and determination during these difficult times.

Superintedent McCandless

The July 18 date was set by the Massachusetts Department of Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. After this date, administrators will be able to assess a timeframe for the ceremony based on conditions in the Commonwealth and the local community, McCandless said.

If we are able to do an in-person diploma ceremony, many safeguards will be in place to ensure social distancing and recommendations for the allowable number of people at one time are strictly followed

Superintendent McCandless

More details on in-person diploma-granting ceremonies will be forthcoming. For updates and information, please visit pittsfield.net