On Monday, May 11th, 2020, Linden High School's class of 2020 was contacted and informed that they would not be receiving a graduation ceremony as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the school will be holding a live-streamed ceremony in an attempt to honor their graduates. The graduates will not be given a formal ceremony or any other recognition.  At this time, they are not even allowed to get their caps and gowns. The class of 2020 deserves so much more than this, and the administration is not doing nearly enough to honor them.

Many parents and community members have already started brainstorming ideas on how to properly recognize the seniors. There are SO MANY other solutions to the problem. For example, the class of 2020 could have a drive-thru/parade graduation throughout the city, a ceremony on the football field at a later date, or a commencement with social distancing and a limited number of spectators. 

The class of 2020 deserves so much more than a video. The seniors, their parents, and other community members are asking Linden Community Schools to have an ACTUAL graduation ceremony, regardless of if it's traditional or not. Hopefully, the graduates will be honored in some way despite the school's response to this petition, but the school should respect the class of 2020 and give them what they deserve.

Failing to give them the opportunity to celebrate what they've worked so hard for is not okay. Please sign this petition to show your support for the class of 2020 and their accomplishments. They WILL be honored in one way or another, but having the school's support in that would mean so much more.