Merrimack High School Graduation Date Set

Merrimack High School seniors can celebrate the fact that there are fewer than 100 days until they'll wind their way through the archways and up onto stage to pick up their diplomas.

At Monday night's school board meeting, at the request of Superintendent Marge Chiafery, a date was set for this year's commencement ceremonies which will be held a week earlier than last year's.

The town can breathe a little easier that graduation will not further compound what's already shaping up to be one heck of a busy Father's Day weekend and the June 9 graduation date should also mean an easier time for out of town family to book a hotel room that weekend if needed.

Chiafery said she was approached by Town Manager Eileen Cabanel to see if there was an inkling as to when the high school might celebrate its seniors. Cabanel told Chiafery that the weekend of the Nashua Rotary Club West's Rock'n Ribfest – which is the same weekend graduation was held last year – is this year the same weekend the Merrimack Premium Outlets have scheduled their grand opening: June 15-17.

"Merrimack seriously is just going to have an awful lot going on," Chiafery said of that weekend. "When you put all that together I think it's very important to have our students graduate on June 9."

Thanks to a mild winter this year includes three snow days on the books – all from October's snowstorm – Chiafery said the school will be able to celebrate on June 9, the earliest date since 2002 when it was held on June 8.

The decision was made without a need for lengthy discussion.

Chiafery said she has an April 10 teachers' workshop in mind for a possible make-up day should winter throw a late curveball.

For student representative to the school board Joel Yates, having the date set allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

“I'm very excited," Yates said when asked if that date makes him happy. "That means there's 96 days until graduation.”