Jan 19, 2016 2 min read

McMURRAY – Because of construction at McMurray Elementary School and the 21-day teachers’ strike in November, the first day of school in Peters Township School District for the 2016-17 school year will be Sept. 6, the day after Labor Day.

In most cases, classes in the district start the week before Labor Day. But, the final phase of construction on the McMurray Elementary School common areas, such as the hallways, still needs to take place. And work on those areas cannot take place until everyone is out of the building, explained Shelly Belcher, district spokeswoman. The calendar was approved Monday by the school board.

The $5.6 million improvement project included upgrades to the building’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, as well as the installation of new windows, gutters and downspouts. Wireless connectivity in the building was also improved.

By starting school Sept. 6, summer vacation is also being extended. The strike has pushed the end of the current school year back a week to June 22. Seniors will still graduate June 10, as scheduled, but will have to complete five additional days of school from June 13-17 to meet the required days and hours of instruction and graduation.

The first day off for students in the 2016-17 school year is Nov. 10, when parent-teacher conferences are scheduled. There is also no school Nov. 11, which is an in-service day. Thanksgiving break will run Nov. 24-28. Winter break is scheduled to run Dec. 23-Jan. 2.

Other days that school is not scheduled are Jan. 30, an in-service clerical day. April 12 and 13 are both in-service days, so there is no school. And April 14 and 17 have been designated as spring break, while April 27 is Take Your Child to Work day. Memorial Day is May 29 and the last day of school is June 15, with high school graduation slated for June 16.