Tentative Plans for Seniors and Graduation Activities - Board of Education Meeting February 16, 2021 - BoardDocs

Tentative Plans for Seniors and
    Graduation Activities
         Board of Education Meeting
             February 16, 2021

Graduation Indoors/Outdoors
1. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and safety of
   school community members continue to be a top priority
2. The coronavirus has a major impact on planning for
   graduation ceremonies, indoors and outdoors
3. The current situation is very fluid
4. Planning for outdoor and indoor graduations with
   mitigation strategies in place reduces the risk of spread, but
   does not eliminate the risk of spread

Objective of Report
• To determine a graduation site so that:

  • Schools can start to communicate date/time of the
    ceremony
  • Vendors can be determined (i.e. Jostens, floral, caterers,
    sound, video, photography, etc.)
  • Other activities can be planned (i.e. stage design,
    security/safety protocols, etc.)
  • The date can be locked in with the vendor of choice

Options
• Multiple options were discussed, but were narrowed down to four options

   1. The graduation ceremony could be potentially:

      a) Held at the University of Missouri St. Louis as planned on June 5, 2021.

      b) Held at each high school on the football field with restrictions.

      c) Held at the current St. Louis Outlet Mall location.

      d) Virtual

Options Explored - UMSL
                       (Indoors)
Option A

• Communication received, Thursday, January 28, 2021 from
  UMSL official informing us that a decision has not be made if
  graduation ceremonies would be allowed

• If ceremonies are allowed the number of tickets per student
  would be reduced due to social distancing (1 to 2 tickets per
  graduate)
   • Number of tickets depends on number of graduates

Option A – UMSL (Budget)
UMSL Facility Rental Fee                                $10,500
UMSL Event Supervisor Fee                               $1,200
UMSL Custodial Services & Supplies                      $4,050
UMSL Setup Team Services                                $3,000
UMSL Aries Rental Materials Fee                         $3,450
UMSL Police Services                                    $8,400
Live Streaming                                          $10,500
Catering Services (various vendors)                     $2,500
Overtime for Maintenance (5) and Transportation (12)    $10,750
Total for all high schools                              $54,350
Total less deposit ($15,300 paid in 19/20)              $39,050

Options Explored – Football Field/Gym
                 (Outdoors/Indoors)
Option B

• Due to the event being outside, the large gym in each high school would
  have to be set up to mirror the football field as a contingency plan
• If this option is chosen the number of tickets per student would be reduced
  due to social distancing (2 to 3 tickets per graduate)
   • Number of tickets depends on number of graduates
• In the event that we would have to move the graduation indoors due to
  unforeseen circumstances or inclement weather, graduates may only have
  one guest (1 ticket per graduate)

Option B – Football Field/Gym (Budget)
Chair Rental (delivery, labor and setup) for the gym and football field   $19,500
Audio                                                                     $7,000
Live Video/Streaming (gym or football field)                              $10,500
Staging (gym and football field)                                          $3,500
Labor (i.e. sound and video engineers) and Delivery                       $16,000
Screens/Projectors (if needed)                                            $5,000
Overtime for Maintenance/Custodial (5) and Transportation (12)            $10,750
Total for all high schools                                                $72,250

Options Explored – Big Sports
                      (Outdoors)
Option C

• In the event of rain, graduates will stay on the inside.
   • In the event of rain graduates will be able to view the ceremony from their
     pod inside. Patrons will view/hear the graduation from their vehicles. When
     the student’s name is called they will come out of the building to the covered
     stage.
• If this option is chosen 2 tickets per graduate (1 ticket per vehicle)
   • Each graduate can bring two vehicles. There is no limit to the number of
     passengers in each vehicle. Patrons are encouraged to stay within the legal
     limits of their vehicle’s capacity.

Option C – Big Sports Properties, LLC (Budget)
11 Acre Parking Lot – Capacity of 1,300 Cars – attached is a detailed outline of what    $59,820
this line item includes
Floral Plants and Flowers on Stage at Podiums and flanking staircase; 8 Confetti and       $0
Streamer Cannons for concluding celebration at Cap Toss; 4 On-Stage Sparklers (fire
safe) for evening graduations only; Special Effects Lighting for Stage Back Curtain in
School Colors
Other (Graduate Name on Screen at Diploma Receive and Banners)                           $7,000
Overtime for Maintenance and Custodial Services                                          $2,500
Catering (District)                                                                      $2,500
Total for all high schools                                                               $71,820

Other Considerations
• All options are pending Center of Disease Control (CDC) and St. Louis
  County Department of Public Health’s Recommendations on Social
  Distancing and Crowd Gatherings

• Security cost not included because all options include security

• Number of graduates are not the same at each site

• Once the site is determined other details (i.e. staging rooms, seating
  arrangements, traffic flow, security, hospitality rooms, programs, etc.) will
  be fine tuned

Total Cost for Options Graduation Side by Side
                                                     Number of attendees per
  Options                      Cost
                                                           graduate
  Option A   $54,350 ($39,050 less deposit from
                                                  1 to 2 per graduate
  (UMSL)     19/20) for all high schools
  Option B
(High School
  Football   $72,250 for all high schools         1 to 3 per graduate
Fields/Gyms)

  Option C                                        Graduate would receive 2
 (Big Sports                                      tickets (1 ticket per vehicle)
               $71,820 for all high schools
 Properties)                                      number of attendees will
                                                  depend on size of vehicle

*Prom
The high schools have set the following tentative dates for prom. The
tentative dates* are as follows:

• Hazelwood Central High School - Saturday, May 22, 2021
• Hazelwood East High School - Saturday, May 15, 2021
• Hazelwood West High School - Saturday, May 22, 2021 (date change)

*According to St. Louis County Health Professionals, based on current data St. Louis County
Schools should not anticipate a green light to have a prom. The Health professionals
recognized that the very nature of prom could lead to significant transmission, especially
considering current rates of infection.

Other Tentative Senior and Graduation
                        Activities
Not all schools will do the same thing. Some examples of this
include:

  • Card My Yard Photo Opportunities - (estimated cost - $1,500)
  • Yard Signs (estimated cost - $6,000)
  • Keepsakes for Class of 2021 students - (estimated cost - $13,000)
  • Class of 2021 Tee Shirts - (estimated cost - $13,000)
  • Billboards - (estimated cost - $6,000)
  • Virtual Spirit Week
  • Parades