POLAND – The School Committee, after hearing pleas for and against moving the date of Poland Regional High School graduation, voted to keep it June 6 but to move the time from 7 to 8 p.m. so track team members in a state meet that day can participate.

Alexa Doyer presented a petition signed by 42 percent of the seniors, asking that graduation be postponed one day, to Sunday, June 7.

Sam Malpass presented a petition with 60 signatures, suggesting that the time be pushed back to 8 or 8:30 p.m.

Parent Tracy Provencher, prior to the vote, told the committee that her son felt like his class was being torn apart.

Parent Jodi Bennett, a Project Graduation coordinator, explained that the plans for the night, meant to provide a safe, substance-free celebration, couldn’t be changed to another date.

Principal Cari Medd said that Project Graduation was essential to the graduation package, and she wanted to make sure that everybody could participate in the graduation exercises. She also said that, if necessary, someone would go to Mount Desert Island to drive track team members back to graduation.

“Either myself, a parent or faculty member will bring the runners back,” Medd said.

Parent Roxanne Doyer said that the timeline wouldn’t allow them to be back by 8 p.m..

“It’s a three-hour drive,” Doyer said. “They won’t make it. It’s not supposed to be a drive-through graduation.”

Superintendent Dennis Duquette said he received dozens of e-mails on the subject. “There is no easy or best solution,” he said.

School Committee member Mary Ella Jones noted that in the past, graduation has been on the same date as the state track meet, the first weekend in June, but closer to Poland.

“It’s a heartbreaking situation,” Jones said.

Committee member Chris Woodford apologized to the students, whose parents packed the high school library.

“You shouldn’t have been asked to choose; this should have never happened,” Woodford said.

Medd, noting that the conflict between graduation and track meet was putting stress on the school and the community, said her hope was for the seniors to pull together.

Duquette vowed that this would not happen again. “Not next year; not in the years ahead,” he said.