Secondary students in the Seneca Valley School District will get a longer lunch period starting in the fall.

The school board approved a memorandum of understanding for a nine-period day with the Seneca Valley Education Association at its meeting Monday.

Instead of 30 minutes for lunch, students in grades nine to 12 will now get 41 minutes to eat and unwind, said Linda Andreassi, school district communications director.

The school day used to be eight periods with lunch. Now that lunch is longer, it is being considered a full period, Andreassi said.

Classes also will be 41 minutes long and the activity period will be 15 minutes. Previously, classes were 42 minutes long and the activity period was 18 minutes.

Andreassi said school officials took time away from each period and the activity period to create the lengthened lunch period.

It will give students more time to take a break and decompress during the day, Andreassi said.