Mathews High School has announced that its June 7 graduation ceremony will be limited to graduates and their one carload of people.

According to MHS Assistant Principal Lee Anne Bray, only vehicles containing a graduating senior will be allowed in the parking lot.

The graduates will line up alphabetically at the Lee-Jackson Elementary/Thomas Hunter Middle School parking lot before the ceremony and will travel to Mathews High School in groups of 10. The graduate should be in the front passenger’s seat.

The graduates will drive up to the outside of the Harry M. Ward Auditorium, exit their vehicle, walk across the outdoor stage, receive their diploma and return to their vehicle. The graduates will do this one at a time. Once the 10 graduates have received their diplomas and returned to their parked cars in the lot, school board chairman John Priest will confer the diplomas.

Parking will be determined by size of vehicle. According to a release from MHS, small cars and sedans will receive blue tags, minivans, SUVs and trucks will receive yellow tags and all oversized vehicles, like 15-passenger vans, party buses, limousines, etc., will be given white tags.

The school will not be able to accommodate oversized vehicles in the parking lot. There is just enough room in the parking lot to accommodate the entire class in standard sized vehicles. If a student does bring an oversized vehicle, they may drive up to the stage to receive their diploma, but their vehicle will not be able to be accommodated in the parking lot. There may be overflow parking in the pit or at Mathews Parks and Recreation, but the stage will not be viewable from these locations.

The school has been working with the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office, Three Rivers Health District and the school system’s crisis team to come up with a safe commencement ceremony, Bray said.

Students are strongly urged to wear masks and hand sanitizer will be available. Everyone must remain in their vehicles at all times with the exception of the graduates only when they are crossing the stage.

The ceremony will be posted on YouTube and will include pre-recorded traditional speeches, as well as the actual graduation ceremony. Every senior will receive a free digital picture taken on the outdoor stage. Other recognition opportunities are planned for the summer and fall.