Tisbury School Principal John Custer said at a Tuesday-morning school committee meeting that school administrators are continuing to await a decision by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on whether Tisbury will receive state funding and assistance for a building renovation. The school did not receive a rejection letter earlier this month, making it a finalist in the highly selective process. Of about 96 applications from schools across the state, 16 are chosen.
The application was submitted in April 2015, and typically schools hear back from the MSBA by the end of January.
The Tisbury School was among the applicants chosen for a phone conference with the organization in December. School officials, selectman Melinda Loberg, town administrator Jay Grande, and town treasurer Jon Snyder all participated in the call.
“It was just an update that they gave about timelines; when to expect communication,” Mr. Custer said. “They said that for applicants who are not being invited to continue in the grant process, they would receive a letter.”
The Tisbury School did not receive a rejection letter, “which I took as good news,” Mr. Custer said.
The official decision will be made on Jan. 27 at the next MSBA board meeting.
“Hopefully, on the 28th, we’ll know something,” Mr. Custer said. “I have toes and fingers crossed and all sorts of superstitions going here. Hopefully it will be good news.”
For now, it continues to be a waiting game until school leaders hear an official decision.
Tisbury School leaders applied for the grant last year. The school was not chosen.
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) leaders also applied for the grant this year, and the high school failed to make the cut. MVRHS leaders were encouraged to submit another statement of interest for this year, which superintendent of public schools Matt D’Andrea said he will pursue.
If the Tisbury School is chosen, school leaders must initiate a feasibility study and develop a preferred schematic design, which takes about one year. Voters must approve the design, and then it would be another year to come up with a detailed plan.
Discussions about how to best upgrade the Tisbury School have been ongoing since 2011. The facility, built in 1929, is the oldest elementary school building on the Vineyard, and has many pressing needs that include upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; new windows and insulation; and additional classroom space. The last major addition was constructed in the 1990s, despite an increase in school enrollment numbers. A new roof was installed in the fall of 2014.
Earlier this month, Mr. Custer said they won’t decide on how to proceed with the building, in terms of whether to pursue new construction or a complete renovation and addition, until they hear back from the MSBA.
In other business, the school committee unanimously approved a $6.52 million fiscal year 2017 budget, a decrease from the $6.54 million fiscal year 2016 budget.