Schools and universities may plan for in-person graduation ceremonies this spring as long as attendance sizes are limited and physical distancing is observed, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday.

For outdoor ceremonies, pre-K to grade 12 schools, colleges, and universities must limit crowds to 25 percent of a venue’s capacity or 2,000 people, whichever is smaller, according to new guidance from D.C. Health. 

Indoor ceremonies are limited to 25 percent of capacity or 250 people, whichever is smaller. After May 1, indoor gatherings may host up to 500 people if a venue does not reach more than one-fourth of its capacity. 

The guidance comes as planning for spring commencement festivities across the District is well underway. Last academic year, many ceremonies were canceled, held online, postponed, or drastically modified because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

This year, city health department officials set a number of strict guidelines, including requiring face masks, maintaining at least six feet distance between audience members, and restricting groups of guests to six people or fewer. 

No more than 10 people will be allowed on stage at a time, according to the guidance. Students may cross a stage for their diplomas but must maintain physical distancing from one another. Food and beverages cannot be sold during graduation ceremonies.  

All plans for in-person graduation ceremonies must be approved by the D.C. government.  

Howard University officials said they have approval to hold in-person commencement activities for the classes of 2020 and 2021 in early May. Family and friends of graduates will not be allowed to attend because of COVID-19 restrictions, according to a press release.

American University is also scheduled to host in-person commencement ceremonies for the classes of 2020 and 2021 in May. The ceremonies are limited to graduates and several senior university officials, with guests invited to watch online.

George Washington University is planning a ceremony on the National Mall “when it is safe to do so,” opting instead to hold a virtual celebration on May 16. Graduates will receive a “celebration box” with university memorabilia, officials said.

Georgetown University is scheduled to hold in-person graduation ceremonies at Nationals Park after receiving approval from the city. Georgetown University president John DeGioia said details for the ceremony are still being finalized and officials are developing a contingency plan if public health guidance changes. The events will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person.

High schools have also spent months making arrangements for graduation. At Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School in Congress Heights, administrators are planning to hold an outdoor ceremony that will resemble a traditional commencement. 

Students will likely sit spaced apart under a tent, said Stacey Stewart, the director of student affairs. Families will have assigned seating. The school has also tried other ways to make the end of year special for the more than 70 students who are expected to graduate, including waiving costs for caps and gowns and yearbooks.

Stewart said it’s particularly important for students to celebrate the milestone in person after a school year that has largely taken place online.

“A lot of us have not seen each other in a year,” she said. “Not everybody is going in the same direction post-high school, so this might be their last time to celebrate and be together.” 

Administrators at Washington Latin Public Charter School in Brightwood Park are also set on commemorating graduation in person, said Principal Diana Smith. The school is planning to hold its ceremony in the lot of a drive-in theatre outside Baltimore, replicating the commencement it held last school year. 

Families will watch the ceremony from their vehicles and students will be projected on the outdoor movie screen as they cross the stage to retrieve their diploma. 

“We were determined not to have a virtual ceremony,” Smith said.

This story has been updated to reflect commencement plans of Howard, American , Georgetown and George Washington Universities.