ABILENE – Graduates from Abilene High, Cooper and ATEMS can begin reserving seats for guests for the AISD’s in-person commencement ceremonies Friday, June 5, at 8 a.m. via the district’s website.

The district will celebrate its graduates from its three high schools the weekend of July 17-18 at Shotwell Stadium. Abilene High’s ceremony is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Friday with the graduation ceremony for ATEMS scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Cooper’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

An inclement weather plan is in place for all three ceremonies and would either be Sunday, July 19 (for one ceremony) or July 24-25 (for multiple ceremonies). All three ceremonies will be live-streamed so those who cannot be in attendance can enjoy the festivities online.

The AISD will guarantee up to 10 tickets or reservations per graduate. Each graduate may request more tickets, but those will not be considered until after we fulfill ticket requests for all graduates who plan to attend. Because of limited seating, graduates will need to prioritize their guest lists. Social distancing rules allow for up to five guests per graduate to sit together.

The graduation ticket reservation form will be available through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 12, and after that, administrators from each campus will call non-respondents to find out if they are planning on attending graduation. Tickets will be printed June 23 and will be available for pickup at each of the three campus July 7-9.

Tickets will be picked up by graduates or parents for all guests on a reservation list. The ticket is a full-page sheet with ticket information and the health screening form. Each form must be completed and signed and the sheet must be turned in at the stadium in order to enter the graduation ceremony.

The health screening form will ask each person with a ticket the three COVID-19 screening questions:

• Are you experiencing a fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, new loss of taste or  smell, vomiting or diarrhea, and/or sore throat?

• In the last 14 days, have you traveled to an area where COVID-19 is widespread?

* In the last 14 days, have you had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed positive of COVID-19 or someone who is under quarantine for suspected COVID-19?

Those completed health forms must be turned in to enter the stadium, and each person entering the stadium will also undergo a temperature check. In accordance with current Texas Education Agency guidelines, any guest with a temperature of 100.0 or higher will not be allowed to enter the stadium. 

Aside from the health screening form, each ticket sheet will include information that will tell each guest where to park, when to arrive, which gate to use to enter, and where to sit in the stadium.