Joint School Committee Chair Patrick Leclair urged members to thoroughly discuss the 2016-2017 academic calendar before the board’s March meeting.

At that meeting, committee members are expected to vote on the calendar, which establishes school vacations, holidays and professional development sessions.

Last year, residents and some committee members criticized the decision to hold classes on Good Friday.

“Good Friday was a very contentious vote,” Leclair said on Thursday night. “We should start to listen to the administration. At the end of the day, it’s still one hundred eighty days [students] have to be here.”

Superintendent Doug White said a calendar had not been drafted yet, but administrators participated in preliminary talks.

“Discussions on what needs work and what needs to be tweaked have taken place,” White said. “This year, we have a presidential election that affects how we manage schools, especially if there is a school where voting takes place.”

He told committee members that data requested regarding attendance would be provided before the vote.

Members will discuss the calendar during their respective committees' February and March meetings.

A Joint School Committee vote is tentatively set for its March 24 meeting scheduled at 6:30 p.m. in the junior high school's media room.