Governor Cuomo announced the statewide reopening of drive-in movie theaters beginning May 15. This follows action taken by Senators James Skoufis and Jen Metzger calling on the state to permit school districts the opportunity to use drive-in theaters as a venue for graduation ceremonies.
Senator James Skoufis said, “Drive-in theaters are an inherently low-risk space given people’s isolation in their cars. They also present a creative, safe opportunity for school districts as they consider graduation ceremony plans. Last week, I sent a letter to state education officials along with my colleague Senator Metzger urging them to look at innovative ways to commemorate high school graduation, including using the Warwick drive-in movie theater as a possible local alternative. While I am pleased to see drive-ins will officially be open and available, I encourage the State Education Department to provide school districts with guidance on their use for commencement ceremonies.”
“High school and college graduations are an incredibly meaningful moment in our lives, and if we can identify creative, safe ways to offer the fullest ceremonies possible, we ought to do just that.”
Senator Jen Metzger said, “We have been advocating with the Governor’s office to allow drive-in theaters to open, both to provide people with a safe form of entertainment during this public health crisis and to enable these venues to be used by schools for graduation ceremonies, and I am thrilled to see these businesses included by the Governor in the first round re-openings.”