Amid complaints over a chilly Oak Harbor High School graduation last spring, the school board voted to shift graduation time from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. for 2009.

Graduation was moved outdoors to Wildcat Memorial Stadium last year and the traditional 7 p.m. time was kept. The weather that afternoon was warm, but in the evening, a cool wind sent graduation caps and stadium carpets flying, and chilled the audience.

A handful of students and parents complained, Oak Harbor School District spokesman Joe Hunt said.

“I think it would be good to do it even earlier, maybe around 3 or 4 p.m.,” Dave McCool, school board chairman, said at Monday’s school board meeting.

There was discussion about an earlier time, but the overriding concern was making sure parents could make it to graduation after work.

A large percentage of students go on an overnight trip planned by senior parents. Hunt said the trip will not be impacted.

“Students can go to parties earlier,” McCool added.

If the weather cools down again this year, Superintendent Rick Schulte said they may move it another hour back in the future.

“We’ll let the students know they have latitude with this,” Schulte said.