Attendance expands for Manatee County high school graduations

Approximately 5,000 people will be able to attend Lakewood Ranch and Braden River high schools' graduation ceremonies at LECOM Park in June.

The School District of Manatee County agreed with LECOM Park to double the attendance of the graduation ceremonies, which was previously limited to about 2,500 people.

Before the attendance expansion, graduates were limited to four tickets per graduate. Now, the number of tickets allotted to each graduate will be dependent on the number of graduates at each school. 

"We are extremely happy for our graduates and their families," said Cynthia Saunders, the superintendent of the district, in a news release. "We thank LECOM Park for working with us and for allowing us to celebrate the Class of 2021 in style at their stadium."

The decision to expand attendance came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to allow fully vaccinated people to attend large outdoor gatherings without masks.

Braden River High School's graduation is June 2, and Lakewood Ranch High School's graduation is June 3.