photo by: Chad Lawhorn

About 30 people showed up near Free State High School for a school bus parade on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, to honor the school's Class of 2020 graduates. Tuesday was the day Free State was scheduled to have its graduation ceremony. District officials and its busing contractor will have a bus parade honoring Lawrence High's Class of 2020 graduates on Wednesday. A route and schedule for the parade is available on the school district's website.

A school bus parade traveled throughout neighborhoods in the Free State High School attendance area Tuesday in honor of the school’s Class of 2020 graduates.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of school buildings and cancellation of in-person events, the high school had been scheduled to hold its graduation ceremony Tuesday. That ceremony is now scheduled for July. In the meantime, the Lawrence school district and First Student, the district’s bus service provider, organized bus parades to carry school board members, administrators, teachers and staff to celebrate students.

A similar parade honoring Lawrence High’s graduating seniors is scheduled from 8 to 9:40 a.m. Wednesday — the original date of its graduation ceremony. A route of the parade through the LHS attendance area can be found at the district’s website, usd497.org/BusParade.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn

About 30 people showed up near Free State High School for a school bus parade on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, to honor the school’s Class of 2020 graduates. Tuesday was the day Free State was scheduled to have its graduation ceremony. District officials and its busing contractor will have a bus parade honoring Lawrence High’s Class of 2020 graduates on Wednesday. A route and schedule for the parade is available on the school district’s website.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn

As part of a parade honoring graduating seniors, a line of school buses went by the Free State High School campus, but also traveled throughout neighborhoods in the Free State attendance area, Tuesday, May 19, 2020. The district does have more formal graduation ceremonies tentatively scheduled for July, both for Free State and Lawrence High.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn

The yard in front of Free State High School was decorated to honor graduates on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.