The Malta Drive-In Theatre on Route 9 in Malta, which opened on July 1, 1949.Courtesy of Malta Drive-In Theatre
ALBANY – State Sen. James Tedisco is urging Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to allow high school seniors to celebrate their graduation at drive-in movie theaters.
Tedisco, R-Glenville, sent Cuomo a letter Monday morning urging him to issue an executive order permitting the "outside-the-box approach" of hosting graduation ceremonies at local drive-ins. Students and their families could stay in their vehicles and watch pre-taped videos featuring speeches from school officials, teachers and students, he said.
The Malta Drive-In Theatre has already offered its facility to use for graduations, he added.
"While it’s certainly not the same thing as a traditional high school graduation ceremony, we think we have a unique solution that could work statewide for some school districts and communities by allowing drive-in movie theaters to safely host a version of a graduation ceremony while maintaining social distancing," Tedisco wrote.
Each school district would work with municipalities and drive-in theaters in the area to organize ceremonies, he said. Students would then receive their diplomas in the mail.
“Our schools are looking for an opportunity to safely hold graduation ceremonies and many of them have contacted us to see if we would be available to host them given that the drive-in movie business is already set-up with many of the safety protocols that are needed now," Ed Caro, the owner of the Malta Drive-In Theatre, said in a release. "We think this is a great opportunity to allow local high school seniors to celebrate their graduations."
The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.