Just six weeks before the start of a new school year, principals at
both the West Tisbury School and Chilmark School have announced they are
quitting their jobs.
Letters of resignation from Elaine Pace and Carlos Colley forced the
Up Island Regional school committee into an unscheduled meeting Friday
to deal with the doubleheader of departures.
"It's fair to say this was unexpected," said Kathy
Logue, chairman of the regional school board.
Debate Continues on Fair Share in Up-Island School Finances
By CHRIS BURRELL
Voters in West Tisbury will need more than a calculator to sort out
the dispute raging up-Island over school costs.
Less than one week after Vineyard schools leaders unveiled financial
scenarios showing that it would cost West Tisbury more than $600,000 in
one year if it withdrew from the school region, the finance committee is
busily crunching numbers and reaching an entirely different conclusion.
Up-Island Parents and Educators Ponder District's Shaky Prospects
CHRIS BURRELL
Spencer Booker lives in Aquinnah, and when it came time to decide
where to send his three children for grade school, the choice was
obvious. Proximity was key, so they chose the Chilmark School.
"It was geographical, the closest school to my house," he said. "And
it's a great little school, very intimate, very supportive. All the
teachers know all the students, first name and last. That's the kind of
environment I want to put my kids into for their education."
Up-Island School Budget Jumps 15 Per Cent
By CHRIS BURRELL
Taxpayers in Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury will see the cost
of educating schoolchildren rise sharply next year as the proposed
budget for the Up-Island Regional School District goes from $5.9 million
to more than $6.8 million, a 15 per cent increase.
The reasons are much the same as at the regional high school, where
the budget will jump by almost 10 per cent next year. State aid is
dropping, and the cost of insurance is climbing.
