After months of uncertainty and doubt surrounding plans for a graduation ceremony, the Highland Class of 2020 will have a chance to walk across the stage this Saturday.

The unprecedented ceremony will happen at the school’s football field at 10 a.m. with several public health precautions in place.

School board members said the outdoor location would facilitate social distancing better than the indoor gym, where it would normally be held.

Seniors must pre-register any guests they plan to bring – up to eight of them – using a form sent to student emails.

Superintendent Ken Crawford emphasized the importance of registering the names of guests rather than filler names at the Monday school board meeting, citing the need for a record of exactly who attended in case an outbreak would necessitate public health tracking measures.

Graduates will be handed their diploma by board President Nate Robinson but will not receive the traditional handshake.

Crawford said health precautions at the ceremony would rely mainly on good judgment of participants rather than strict enforcement.

“Obviously, if we see two people from different groups hugging, we’re not going to break that up,” he said at the meeting. “We just need people to use common sense with this.”