A regionalized approach was recommended to administrators after a study of Vineyard schools found that the cost per student far exceeds the average in the state.
The Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS) was hired by the All-Island School Committee to analyze budgets and available data to better understand what a regional school system could look like, an effort that began about a year ago.
“There’s multiple school committees, different policies and systems, and that does contribute to administrative inefficiencies,” Carol Costello, a retired superintendent who focuses on academic discoveries at MARS, said in a recent presentation about possible regionalization of schools on the Vineyard.
The MARS study found that the average cost is over $34,000 per each of the 2,453 students on the Vineyard. That’s far higher than in many other districts throughout the state, including Nantucket. The average salary for local teachers is about $110,000, which is also higher than the state average.
As Islanders gear up to vote on funding for the largest capital building project in local history, discussions of cost have been at the forefront, and some have called for creative solutions to ease the financial burden.
At an All-Island School Committee meeting last Thursday, MARS representatives presented their findings about educational structure and budget, and recommended a regionalized approach to schools. They pointed to the Island-wide resources already in place. The superintendent and centralized roles, as well as a regionalized special education department, are already “operating effectively,” according to a MARS representative.
MARS analyzed information from the Department of Education, the Department of Revenue, and data from all the Island schools, including interviews of teaching staff.
In a comparison of cost per pupil between the Vineyard and other districts, “Martha’s Vineyard is at the top,” Steve Hammond, a consultant for MARS, said.
In their presentation, MARS representatives pointed to housing instability and affordability on Martha’s Vineyard as a challenge for students, staff, and their families. If families are caught up in the “Island shuffle” and are moving between schools often, resources in the district are further strained by the complications, and education of students may suffer.
MARS officials said since factors like housing are largely out of the control of the school district, focusing on areas where improvements can be made is in the best interest of everyone.
“At the end of the day, what’s most important is what’s best for students,” said Costello.
Their top recommendation for cutting costs, creating a more efficient school system, and allocating resources effectively was combining K–8 classrooms more; the high school is largely regionalized already, but MARS said more schools could follow suit to streamline costs and services.
Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School has the highest cost per pupil at a staggering $41,143. For kindergarteners through eighth graders, up-Island schools have the next-highest cost per student, at around $34,000, and down-Island schools have the lowest cost per pupil, yet still high, between $30,000 and about $33,000 per student.
“When you have so many different schools filtering into one school, the curriculum alignment is extremely important,” Costello said. “There’s a broad consensus that greater pre-K-to-12 regionalization could improve resource allocation, and expand access to enrichment and extracurricular opportunities.”