Millard Public Schools ordered 60,000 masks, two masks for every teacher and student, officials said.

The plan calls for honoring graduates July 18 in groups of about 60 to 80 students at a time and limiting each graduate to four guests. The district in Omaha is among the first in the metro area to reveal a detailed plan for a live graduation ceremony during the pandemic.

The Omaha Public Schools' virtual graduations provided an emotional, surreal sendoff for the Class of 2020.

Schools have been unable to comply with many rules, and are poised to break more next year unless operations return to normal. School officials want to know which rules the state will make them follow and which ones they can punt.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, the ceremonies for the Papillion-La Vista high schools could wind up being more intimate and emotional than the big arena ceremonies of normal times. They will be packed with personal touches not normally found in a typical graduation ceremony.

Performing in garages, dining rooms and basements, high school students across Nebraska have been trying out for dance teams and show choirs via video conference.

Budget cuts would be higher if not for the tuition initiatives that will pump up enrollment, University of Nebraska President Ted Carter said. "This could have been so much worse."

Spokesman David Jespersen said that while the State Department of Education recommends the use of masks for students and staff, it also is supportive of districts coming up with their own protocols.

There won't be an in-person August graduation ceremony at UNL, but the fall semester will bring a mix of online and in-person classes — plus masks, thermometers and sanitizing wipes.

OPS Superintendent Cheryl Logan said the masks, along with enhanced sanitation practices and hand-washing, will be part of the district's efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.

"It is apparent that lack of broadband access it is a huge inequity for many of our students and households,” said Nebraska Commisioner of Education Matt Blomstedt.

Colleges must build a multi-pronged plan if they hope to bring students back to their campuses in the fall.

Nebraska Masks for Medicine is assembling kits for 40,000 to 45,000 masks, said Carol Wang, executive director of the Metro Omaha Medical Society. Now the group needs volunteers to sew the masks.

For most students in the district, school will begin Aug. 18. Eighth graders, high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will begin school Aug. 19.

The bulk of the discussion on Monday night centered around the district's plan to return to school this fall. Nearly two dozen parents and teachers peppered OPS officials with questions.

Millard and Elkhorn school districts will welcome all students back for in-person classes every day starting this August.

Bellevue's superintendent wrote that it is "highly probable" that the district will require masks for students and staff when social distancing cannot occur.

There are several key questions to consider about Omaha Public School's plan for school in the fall.

Parents and guardians have differing opinions, feelings and plenty of questions about OPS’s back-to-school plans.