Cloquet plans to hold outdoor prom, graduation

As of right now, Cloquet High School plans are to hold both prom and graduation outside, according to principal Steve Battaglia. Prom will be in the school parking lot with large tents “to help facilitate air flow,” Battaglia said.

He said the student leadership team wants the school to explore holding it indoors, but moving inside creates challenges. “We’re finding that we’ll have to significantly cut capacity if we try to do that,” the principal said, adding that prom plans are still fluid.

Graduation will be on the football field.

“Our senior student leaders are very much in favor of holding a full class ceremony versus the option of doing a few smaller separate ceremonies indoors,” he said. “In the event of rain, we’ll bump it back a week.”

May 28 is the scheduled graduation date. June 4 would be the rain date.

Last year prom was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic and school officials made a movie of students “graduating” along with other school highlights which they showed on an massive outdoor screen.