The 2020-21 school year is rapidly winding down, with plans in motion for graduation ceremonies in early June.

Escalon Unified School District Superintendent Ron Costa said Wednesday, June 2 will feature a pair of ceremonies, with Gateway Academy charter school hosting a morning ceremony and Vista High School graduates gathering for a 6 p.m. ceremony. Both those events will be hosted in the school’s Performing Arts Center.

“We will maintain the required percentage of attendees,” Costa said of limiting the indoor attendance to provide for the social distancing protocols.

Escalon High School will host its Senior Awards Night on June 2, having that event outside in the football stadium at 7 p.m.

The busy week of graduation festivities the first week of June continues on Thursday, June 3 with El Portal Middle School ceremonies at 7 p.m. at Engel Field in Memorial Stadium. On Friday, June 4, a 7 p.m. ceremony will see the Escalon High School Class of 2021 celebrated at graduation.

“Both El Portal and EHS will have limited admission, we have to follow the guidelines for the percentage of capacity we can fill,” Costa said of the outdoor ceremonies at the stadium.

Currently, under the state’s ‘Red’ tier, the district can allow two people per graduate to attend the ceremony for El Portal and EHS. If the county makes it to ‘Orange’ tier status, that number could rise to four. But, said Costa, they are planning on having the ceremonies available for viewing.

“Because of the limited number of people allowed in, to compensate for that, we are having both ceremonies professionally livestreamed, so family members who will not be able to attend can watch it live, streamed to their homes or phones or wherever,” Costa explained.

Along with the graduation events, Costa said the high school’s Sober Grad event is also moving forward, with plans to host a vast majority of the activities outside for students.

“There will be a few small things with a limited number of people inside,” Costa explained.

But with graduations being planned, Senior Awards Night and Sober Grad scheduled, Costa said things seem to be moving in the right direction.

“We’re on our way back to normal, I hope,” Costa said. “The district is moving ahead with plans to open full time five days a week starting in August.”

Thursday, Aug. 12 will be the first day of the 2021-2022 school year.