The last few months of high school are what most seniors dream about and look forward to.
However, in North Carolina, the secondary education of graduating seniors may have ended on March 16, when Gov. Roy Cooper closed all public schools for two weeks. That time frame was extended through May 15, and there is no word yet on whether that it will stand or if schools will be closed for the rest of the school year.
Most seniors have had their proms canceled or postponed, their graduation is still up in the air and a lot of the other events — from senior awards ceremonies to athletic senior nights — have been canceled, too.
Caroline Cochrane, an incoming UNC first-year from Greensboro, said her senior walkthrough and their class trip to Carowinds were some of the few things that were canceled, and there are so many unknowns right now.
“It makes me feel really scared because I might get (the events), but I might not get it, so I can’t get my hopes up,” Cochrane said. “It feels like my senior year is being ripped away.”
Chapel Hill High School Principal Charles Blanchard said they are making contingency plans for the seniors in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, depending on what the governor’s office decides to do with the rest of the school year.
Blanchard said if they are able to come back, they would try to put together some type of prom.
He said they also sent out a survey last week to the seniors and families in the district to figure out options for graduation, including holding graduation on July 11 or July 25.
“We're trying to get some feedback on which of those two dates in July would work best,” Blanchard said. “Then we also included a question that if we’re not able to do a ceremony in July, would we want to consider a virtual ceremony or maybe a face-to-face ceremony in December over winter break.”
