HORSEHEADS, NY (WENY) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday socially distanced graduations of 150 or less people will be permitted. But for a school district like Horseheads with 315 graduates, 150 doesn't go a long way. 

The number would also include additional staff needed to abide by CDC guidelines. Horseheads Superintendent Dr. Tom Douglas says, "We might have to have three graduations of say 100, 103, 104 individual students but there would be no parents there. We don't really want to do that, but that might have to be the situation. Or the opposite, we might have to do like 12, 14, maybe 15 graduations of about 20 to 25 kids with two parents there."

The district's goal remains to hold a graduation with all 315 graduates in attendance, and Douglas believes it would be possible if the governor allows 25% capacity at the graduation site instead of 150 people. Douglas says, "For us, 315 kids. Our stadium seats anywhere from four to five thousand people. 25% means I could put together, socially distanced, a graduation for over 900 people. Two parents, each of the students, plus the personnel to run it and it would be done in two and a half hours and it would be done according to the CDC guidelines." 

Douglas says the district is aiming for a June 26th graduation date to ensure the ceremony can be held before some graduates need to report for military duty. Horseheads has submitted two plans to the county, one with parents and one without. Chemung County Executive Chris Moss tells WENY he's confident graduations can be held safely. 

As a backup plan, Horseheads is currently planning a virtual graduation with a drive-through component, which would take place over multiple days around June 19th. Douglas says, "We're trying to make sure we have contingency plans for everything, but that's why the virtual is so important right now. And we're also trying to do it and make it memorable for the students."

Douglas says it is possible Horseheads could have both a virtual an in-person graduation.