ADAMS TWP — More feedback is being sought to determine a graduation date for those in the Mars High School class of 2020.

Meeting Tuesday, the Mars School Board to approved a 2019-20 school calendar as presented. Under that calendar, the students' first day would be Sept. 9. The later start date is being used to allow for work to be done at the Mars Middle School. That $14.7 million project will begin at the end of the current school year, and will be completed in phases. To ensure there is ample time to complete those phases, officials opted for the later start date.

According to Superintendent Wesley Shipley, officials also looked at longer Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks to further accommodate the construction schedule, but the calendar approved Tuesday has normal breaks. That includes Thanksgiving break from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, and Christmas break from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1. Shipley noted several surrounding districts will also return to class on Jan. 2.

Students will be off for Good Friday on April 10, 2020, as well as the following Monday. However, that day would be used as the third snow makeup day in case days need to be made up, Shipley said.

The first two snow makeup days are listed as June 11 and 12. If no snow makeup days are needed, the final day of school would be June 10, 2020.

“If we do go to three days, it keeps us from going into that next week and gives us a little bit of a cushion,” he said.

Shipley said graduation is typically held on Thursday after students complete school. However, he said the possibility for snow makeup days has officials questioning whether to schedule that date for June 18, or to “roll the dice” and hold it earlier.

After discussion, board members decided to seek input from officials at Mars High School, who would be impacted most by the graduation date.

“We're not the ones doing the work,” said Dayle Ferguson, board president.

The board unanimously approved the calendar, and will set the graduation date once information is gathered from high school staff.