Old Orchard Beach graduation to be held at Seaside Pavilion

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Graduation will once again be held at the Seaside Pavilion.

The Old Orchard Beach High School commencement ceremony is traditionally held at the Salvation Army Seaside Pavilion, a roofed, open-air pavilion nestled among tall pine trees at the Salvation Army Campus at 8 Sixth St.

Last year, due to the pandemic, a remote ceremony was compiled from video footage of graduates. This year it was announced that the 64 graduates would have a live commencement ceremony, with initial plans for the event to be held at the Joe Regina Football Field to give room for social distancing.

Governor Janet Mills on May 14 updated pandemic protocols, which prompted a change of plans for the high school graduation ceremony, which will be held at 2 p.m. on June 6.

Under the governor’s updated protocols, all capacity limits and requirements to physically distance in public outdoor settings will be lifted on May 24.

RSU 23 Superintendent of Schools and Old Orchard Beach High School Principal John Suttie announced Monday the switch to Seaside Pavilion.

There will be no limit to the number of guests that can attend the ceremony, and there will be no assigned seating, said Suttie. All those attending must wear face masks, he said.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.