School superintendent delivering diplomas to COVID-19 homebound grads

iStock/RomoloTavani(OHIO) — With many schools nationwide announcing they’ll be closed for the remainder of the year due to COVID-19, one Ohio superintendent is literally going the distance for his graduates, who will be missing out on the traditional ceremony. 

Cincinatti.com reports school superintendent Ramone Davenport will personally deliver diplomas to the homes of 250 Dohn Community High School graduating seniors.

Wearing a mask and gloves, Davenport will stay six feet away from the graduate and his or her family, and will try to recreate that commencement feel, speaking to the graduate’s family about the student before handing off the diploma. 

How he’ll do that “is going to be the tricky part,” says the educator, who reckons he’ll use some kind of grip extender to hand over the diplomas.

The school is a dropout recovery program that serves underprivileged students.  Davenport says their commencement ceremony usually draws thousands.  This time, he’s hoping his personal gesture — and a possible rescheduled graduation in August — will give closure to the students.

“I’m not going to allow this coronavirus to halt the plans of these particular individuals who have worked their tails off,” Davenport says.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.