Willmar School Board readies for lifting of pandemic restrictions, governor's orders have already removed attendance limits for high school graduation

May 11—WILLMAR — The Willmar Senior High School graduation on June 6 will not have limits on attendance.

Gov. Tim Walz announced last week that capacity restrictions and social distancing requirements for all events will be lifted in late May, and the state's mask mandate will expire July 1, possibly sooner.

The change comes just in time for high school graduations and is part of a multiple-step process of lifting pandemic restrictions. More restrictions will be lifted as vaccination numbers increase, concluding with the end of the statewide mask mandate on July 1 at the latest.

At Monday's Willmar School Board meeting, Superintendent Jeff Holm said the governor's order will bring changes to the district's year-end plans.

Willmar Senior High's graduation will be the afternoon of June 6 at the Willmar Civic Center. In the past, the school has used its own gyms for commencement. The move to the Civic Center was planned to allow for social distancing.

Holm said students who are outdoors for recess or physical education no longer have to wear masks. They do still have to wear masks when they return indoors, at least for now.

At the suggestion of the Minnesota School Boards Association nearly a year ago, the Willmar board and others around the state adopted guidelines for masks on school property.

With the move toward lifting the statewide mandates, the board voted to sunset its mask policy when Walz ends the statewide mask requirement.