ADAMS TWP — The recent demolition of an outdoor classroom at Mars Area Middle School sparked discussion at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

The classroom was torn down Monday to make way for an access road to the middle school, as the current entrance will be impacted by future Route 228 expansion construction projects.

It had been constructed by a former Mars student as a Boy Scout project in 2014 at a cost of $939. The classroom, funded by community donations, featured six benches under a grove of shady trees and an outdoor whiteboard, eighth-grade science teacher Amanda Stavish said.

“It’s a very important space. I have many lessons that I specifically tailor to using this outdoor classroom space as a location, including our big outdoor soil lab,” she said.

Board members and superintendent Mark Gross expressed interest in finding a new location for the outdoor classroom after Stavish described the utility her class got out of the outdoor learning space.

“At some point, we should just talk and maybe try to identify an area, and I can bring that back to the board,” Gross said. “You’re passionate about it, and the kids are too.”

Stavish said she was overcome with tears when she saw the trees being torn down during class on Monday. While she knew that the access road was coming, she did not realize that the classroom would be taken down during the school year, she said.

“The emotion just came over me, because I know how valuable that space is, for myself, for my fellow colleagues, and for the students who use that space often,” she said. “I was totally caught off guard when I saw those trees being cut down, and (I know) now that I have to change around some of the things that I am doing for the rest of the year because that is gone, because we didn’t get that communication that that valuable space to us is gone.”

School board member Nicole Thurner recommended Stavish submit a proposal officially to the board so the board could take steps to find a new location for the original site benches.

“I would highly recommend, when you get your location and some details down, please bring a proposal to the (Mars) Planet Foundation,” board member Kevin Hagen said. “That would be a very good funding source.”

Board member Megan Lenz mentioned she knew community members who would be interested in assisting with the project.

“I’m only one of nine (board members), but you have me, I’m in,” she said.

Gross said that the school tried to preserve as much of the benches as they could.

“Our folks tried to salvage as much as they can with the hopes of finding another location,” he said. “They took their time, and they tried to save as many pieces as they could. I think we’ll be able to find another location. It’s unfortunately the penalty you pay for growth.”