MILTON-FREEWATER — As the calendar rolls into spring, most years the focus for high school seniors is on proms, college applications and graduation.

This isn’t most years.

And for the 40 graduating seniors of Athena-Weston School District, this won’t be a normal commencement ceremony. Barring a relaxation of the state’s social distancing mandates due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the district will be holding its May 28 graduation at the M-F Drive-In Theater in Milton-Freewater.

“It’s definitely unique and something that these seniors are going to certainly remember,” said Laure Quaresma, the district superintendent. “We think it will be really fun.”

Quaresma said the district is still working out the “in-the-weeds” details of the event — how can the band be incorporated, can the seniors get out of the cars and walk to receive their diplomas, how much will have to be prerecorded — and much of the final product will depend on decisions made in Salem.

“Part of it will depend on whether or not the governor relaxes the (stay-at-home) order,” she said. “We’re hoping by our date that we can have 50 people out of vehicles, and that would allow our seniors to be sitting up front. That’s our hope.”

Quaresma said the district has enjoyed strategizing with owners Mike and Laurie Spiess over details of the event.

“Mike Spiess and Laurie Spiess have been great to work with,” she said. “I think they’re just as excited about this as us, just to try something new. This could be really fun.”

Mike Spiess, who teaches middle school in Waitsburg, Washington, said he is trying to give back to an area he grew up in — as evidenced by the “COVID-19-compliant” Easter worship services the drive-in hosted.

“I’m just trying to find ways to help,” he said. “We did the Easter thing a couple weeks ago, and then when it looked like (graduations) weren’t going to happen, we thought about the graduation concept.”

Born in Pendleton, Spiess’ family has been in the drive-in theater business since 1961. The Pendleton locations, he said, closed in 1980. His theater in Milton-Freewater is now one of just four drive-ins left in Oregon.

“It is pretty neat to be able to do this for the kids, the seniors,” he said. “This is a unique, challenging time for them, too. But the seniors, that’s a tough deal, there’s a lot they don’t get to do.”

Spiess said he’s been contacted by other local high schools as they search for creative commencement ceremonies.

Quaresma said a lot of the final decisions will hinge on what Gov. Kate Brown does in the next few weeks about loosening restrictions, but the district is hoping to do a “procession parade” from the high school to the theater.

“In our mind, right now, we’re thinking we’d like to bring our seniors or staff on the buses and kind of lead the procession to the theater,” she said.

Umatilla sets plans for graduation

Umatilla High School recently finalized its graduation plans for the Class of 2020.

The district will be hosting a “drive-in” style ceremony on May 30 in the high school parking lot. Start time for the event, according to a flyer, is 6 p.m. and the Umatilla Broadcasting Network will livestream the ceremony.

“We’re super excited about graduation,” District Superintendent Heidi Sipe said in an email. “It won’t be traditional, but it will be memorable and special for certain.”

Following the commencement ceremony, parents and graduates will participate in a parade through downtown, McNary and South Hill escorted by the Umatilla Police Department. And the nightcap will be a fireworks display, provided by the city of Umatilla, over the Columbia River in honor of the graduates.

Plans up in the air for some schools

Only a few districts responded to an email request asking about graduation plans. Of the few that did respond, they continue to work through their plans.

Stanfield School District Superintendent Beth Burton said the district is waiting to see what happens with the statewide social distancing restrictions.

“Our principal, Steve Sheller, held a virtual meeting with seniors and, obviously, their first choice would be to have a full-blown commencement if possible, even if that happens later in the summer,” she wrote in an email. “We plan on making a decision some time in May, but I am hopeful that we will have a better picture of what is possible in a few weeks.”

Echo School District Superintendent Raymon Smith said in an email, his district is taking a similar approach.

“At this point we are holding off until around the 1st of May to make any decisions,” he said. “With our graduation over a month and half away, we are hoping that some of the restrictions will be lifted and we will have the ability to hold something that is as close as possible to a regular graduation.”

Smith said there has been talks about using the NFHS Network to livestream the event.

“We would have the gym set up like a normal graduation and run the ceremony live streamed into each student’s home,” he said. “Then have a drive-by diploma presentation and parade of cars through Echo to celebrate our seniors. This is a topic we are discussing with seniors and our school board currently.”

Nixyaawii Community School Principal Ryan Heinrich said in an email no decisions have been made on graduation.

“We will try to put it off for as long as possible, so we can have some sort of normal graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020,” he said.