Graduation ceremonies in the Quakertown Community School District remain in limbo. Nothing has been decided in terms of how it will take place, according to Gary Weckselblatt, the district's director of communications.

            Quakertown commencement is scheduled for June 16. Lehigh University was slated to host the ceremony. However, the university canceled all events through July, according to Weckselblatt.

            No decision has been made concerning the format of a commencement ceremony, according to the spokesperson. Superintendent Bill Harner announced during an April 9 virtual school board meeting that the Quakertown Community High School's administrative team will be speaking to seniors to develop ideas for how the graduating class can be celebrated. 

            In the Boyertown Area School District, high school graduation for seniors is scheduled for June 4 at the Santander Arena in Reading. However, the ceremony would be dependent on Gov. Tom Wolf's stay-at-home order, according to Dana T. Bedden, the district's superintendent.

            "Options are being considered should we not be able to hold commencement exercises in-person," Bedden wrote in an email message received Monday.

            Both districts have implemented alternative education plans. In Quakertown, the district will maintain a virtual learning environment through the remainder of the pandemic. Student participation in academic coursework, while highly encouraged, will be optional and ungraded. The days of instruction will not be counted as student days. Numerous substantial equity issues – both legal and ethical in nature – led administrators to make that decision, according to a plan posted on the district's website.

            In Boyertown, the continuity of education program consists of opportunities for both virtual and corresponding education. Students must have the opportunity to develop and maintain skills while away from their customary school environment, according to information posted on the district's website.

            Using formal teaching similar to those in a classroom setting, teachers continue to introduce new concepts/skills aligned to grade-level standards. Teachers assess the learning of their students and make adjustments to instruction based upon student progress. In order to receive grade and credit, students must attend regularly and complete the course requirements, according to a slideshow presented during an April 7 board of directors meeting hosted on Zoom.