Mars School Board approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Mars Area Education Association.

The vote Tuesday night makes months of teacher contract negotiation official.

“What a great moment to have a contract in place and have that dark cloud cleared,” said Peter Black, a Mars Area High School teacher.

Several board members voiced their support of the contract, which was passed unanimously.

John Kennedy, board president, said a “lot of hours” went into reaching a resolution.

The negotiation process, which took roughly a year, included a tentative, six-year agreement being reached in February.

The ratification process took about three months, coming to an end Tuesday night.

This is a breaking news report. Read the full story in Friday's Butler Eagle.