By Mandy Miles and Jim McCarthy

The school year ended virtually for students all over the world, but Keys high school graduates will celebrate in real life and real-time at in-person graduation ceremonies next week. 

In Key West, graduates will celebrate the end of their high school careers on June 19 at 7 p.m. at Tommy Roberts Memorial Stadium. The ceremony will look much different than it has in the past, but school officials were eager to give the Class of 2020 something more than a digital departure from high school, said retiring KWHS Principal Amber Archer Acevedo.

The class valedictorian and salutatorian will speak at the ceremony, along with Superintendent Mark Porter, who will pass the reins to incoming Superintendent Terri Axford next month.

A mandatory rehearsal will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 18 at the stadium on Kennedy Drive and all students planning to participate must register here. 

“The graduation will be in a different format than normal and it is important that all students and guests read and follow all the guidelines outlined on the school’s website,” states the announcement from school officials. 

The Marathon High School will hold its in-person graduation ceremony on June 18 a 7 p.m. at the athletic complex. Each graduate will have 10 tickets for family members to attend. The school says social distancing guidelines will be followed. Students will be sitting on the bleachers while parents and families will be seated on the field. Masks will be required to enter or move from their spot. Entry to the ceremony will be through the front gates. Marathon seniors will have a practice on June 17 at 9 a.m. 

Coral Shores High School will not have an in-person graduation ceremony this year. Principal Blake Fry said the decision came based on a survey that gathered the level of interest and the number of responses from the graduates of the class of 2020.