Graduations take place this week for area schools.

The Montezuma-Cortez High School graduation ceremony will take place May 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Panther Stadium.

Dolores High School graduation will take place May 20 at 6 p.m. at the high school gym.

Mancos High School will have graduation May 23 at 3 p.m. on the football field.

All graduations will be in-person because pandemic restrictions have been lifted statewide.

Montezuma-Cortez High School will graduate 138 seniors. At graduation, math teacher Shelley Curtis will be the guest speaker. Senior class officers President Grace Olsen and Vice President Robert Hebert will recognize the retirees of the school district.

Cortez seniors will have an award ceremony May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ralph E. Vanak auditorium. The MCHS valedictorian and salutatorian will be announced.

On May 20, before their ceremony, Dolores graduating seniors will have a parade through town beginning 2:30 p.m. Graduating preschool students will also be in the parade.

Superintendent Lis Richard and teacher Brooke Elder will give speeches at the Dolores graduation ceremony. Valedictorian Nina Hufman and Salutatorian Justin Brunner will also give speeches. A slide show will be presented about the Dolores Class of 2021, which includes 31 graduates.

Following the Dolores graduation, students are invited to Operation Graduation at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds beginning at 10 p.m.

The purpose of the event is to provide a safe place for students to celebrate. There will be food, movies, games and prizes.

Mancos will graduate 30 students. An empty chair will be set up in remembrance of student Callum Hays, who died last year.

Mancos science teacher Sensa Wolcott will be the guest speaker at graduation. Valedictorian Grace Manning and Salutatorian Kylie Guiles will also give speeches.

A slide show of the Mancos Class of 2021 will be posted on the school’s Facebook page.