Augusta public school students will spend an extra hour at their desks each Tuesday in May.

The schedule change approved by the Augusta School Board on Wednesday makes up for a day when school was canceled earlier in the year.

The notice about extending the school day an extra hour on May 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 was sent to parents Thursday by Augusta Schools Superintendent James Anastasio.

He notes that school will begin at regular time those days and end one hour later, meaning dismissal at the high school will be 2:45 p.m., middle school at 2:55 p.m. and elementary school at 3:45 p.m.

“If school is canceled for any reason between now and the end of the school year, the school board will reconvene and discuss make up options at that time,” he wrote in the letter addressed to parents and students.

In the letter, Anastasio says the make-up time will permit graduation to occur as originally set on June 12 and for the final day of school to be June 17. The 2015-2016 school calendar lists the last student day as June 13 with a warning that date would hold only if there were no closures for storms.

Anastasio noted that reminders would posted on the various school websites.

“I hope this advance notice will allow you to make the necessary arrangements and minimize any inconvenience,” he wrote.

Augusta schools had several days canceled this school year because of weather and on March 4, an emailed bomb threat received at 6 a.m. that day resulted in the cancellation of all the city’s public schools.

Police searching the buildings found nothing suspicious.