ADAMS TWP — About 15 property owners told the Mars School Board Tuesday night that it should lease district property to a shale gas drilling company.

The board in the spring voted against a $1.5 million lease offer from Rex Energy for horizontal drilling under district property.

While many parents and several teachers who worried about the dangers of drilling were pleased with the board’s vote, other residents said the board should have taken advantage of the extra revenue.

District solicitor Tom King on the night of the vote said that a main reason for the board’s rejection of the lease was that title searches on the district’s land had not been completed.

King said land donated to the district could potentially be reclaimed if the oil or mineral rights were leased.

Tuesday night, members of the landowners group said the board should reconsider leasing the land.

Adams resident John Watson told the board that the East Allegheny School Board in Allegheny County on Monday night voted to approve a lease with EQT Production. He said a well could potentially be placed 500 feet from the high school/middle school in that district.

A group of Mars district parents is protesting five wells on the Bob and Kim Geyer farm on Denny Road in Middlesex Township that would be a half-mile from the nearest school building.

The parents attempted, but failed, to have a two-mile nonindustrial overlay placed around the schools that would preclude unconventional gas drilling.

All five district schools are within one mile of the Geyer drill sites.

“It would be a shame to miss this opportunity,” said Watson, who has three children attending classes in the district.

Janice Kennedy of Middlesex Township asked the board to vote to pursue another lease with a shale gas driller, and offered to find deals from drillers for the district.

Kennedy said the East Allegheny School District took its vote without doing title searches.

“If possible, could you take a vote and consider the offer I will bring to you?” Kennedy asked.

Interim Superintendent William Pettigrew told Kennedy that such a vote would be ill-advised because there are many pieces of information that the board does not have.

“We do not know exactly where we stand and what we can and can’t do regarding all the energy issues,” Pettigrew said.

Adams resident Clayton Woodward said expenses in the growing district are only going to increase, and a shale gas revenue stream could alleviate tax increases.

“This is an opportunity for our township to have a financial benefit that’s going to reduce the taxes for all of us who live here,” Woodward said.

Leaseholder Krista Kuhl pointed out the discussion items of Mars High principal Todd Kolson earlier in the meeting that included the potential to add an advanced science course.

Kuhl said such a class will need more advanced equipment, which gas lease revenue could fund.

Board President Dayle Ferguson said Pettigrew and King have met with officials from MHY Family Services. The neighboring agency, which provides services for at-risk youth, was precluded from signing a gas lease with Rex when the school district rejected the lease.

The board last month voted to respond to a request by MHY’s solicitor for the district and MHY to discuss the potential of reopening lease discussions.

Ferguson said the point of meeting with MHY is to understand land titles and other issues involved.

“There has been one meeting, and that conversation is continuing,” Ferguson said.