Stonington — A large group of high school seniors and parents left Thursday night's Board of Education meeting happy as the board members decided to keep graduation on Friday, June 8.

The board was considering moving the ceremony to June 15 because students must make up the three days that school was canceled last August and September in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.

But after hearing speakers tell them a date change could cause the seniors to lose the location of their graduation night party and their $3,000 deposit, and would cause hardships for traveling relatives, the board instead decided to cancel three days of the upcoming April vacation. This means school will be in session April 11, 12 and 13.

This could pose a problem for families and staff members who have planned vacations.

The change means that school will be in session for the state mandated minimum of 180 days and all students will begin summer vacation on June 8. Students originally were scheduled to attend school for 182 days.

"I'm so happy. Words can't describe it," said relieved senior class President Elias Gharios as he accepted his classmates' congratulations after the decision.

"I was very worried."

The crowd of about 50 students cheered Gharios after he addressed the board and urged members not to move graduation.

Senior Chris Blanchard told the board that his brother, an Army sergeant who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, might not be able to get home for his graduation if the board changed the date now.

The board also had considered having seniors attend class for three days the week after they graduate. But high school Principal Stephen Murphy opposed having them in a "holding tank" because it would create havoc with graduation practice, exams and regular classroom instruction for other students. He said if school could not end on June 8, then he would rather see graduation moved to June 15.

Board Chairman Gail MacDonald reminded members that when they put off a decision on the issue last fall, they agreed they would not change the date of graduation, and that if they needed to make up days, they said they would take them from the April vacation.

Senior Reka Keller, the student representative to the school board, said she and her classmates would rather lose some of their April vacation than see graduation moved.

MacDonald said that in light of the problem, the board will re-examine its 2012-13 school calendar to prevent a repeat.

The crowd cheered the board after its decision.

j.wojtas@theday.com