To the Editor:
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, is a critical day for all Islanders to cast their vote on the proposed addition-renovation of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. On June 2, we have a chance to honor a Vineyard tradition to provide an engaging and robust educational experience for our ninth- to 12th-graders. In the ’50s, bold Vineyarders took a leap of faith to consolidate three separate town high schools (Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, Edgartown) to insure Martha’s Vineyard would have a new facility capable of housing a full-bodied, comprehensive curriculum.
My life has been steeped in public education. I spent five decades teaching in public high schools, and thanks to being married to a public school administrator, I have lived through lots of yes/no votes on school building proposals. Over time, I have noticed a pattern to these yes/no votes. Routinely, school construction ballots draw voters whose mantra often is “NO! Too expensive!”
Recall that recently, Tisbury voters, faced with a proposal to replace their elementary school, built in 1929, rejected funding for a new school. Once this happened, the town had to forfeit the state aid, which would have supported 38.74 percent of the cost for a new facility, to say nothing of the necessary preliminary work. The total cost of the MVRHS addition-renovation project is $333.5 million dollars; the state contribution will be $71 million, if Islanders say yes.
Two weeks ago, my husband and I took up the building committee’s invitation to tour the school. Given what we heard and saw, we agreed, “Yes, this plan is expensive, but it is clearly not only a wise, but necessary, investment in the Island’s future.”
Finally, let me suggest: 1) Check the MVRHS website for times and places you can gather information to inform your decision; 2) while you are thinking about your vote, you might consider the questions that grew out of our tour of the school. We decided evidence we have
gathered supports a yes to each of these questions.
Is it reasonable to consider that sometimes what we call “expensive” may turn out to be “less expensive?”
Is it reasonable to trust the citizens on the MVRHS school board and building committee after 10 years of deliberation, research, and planning?
Is it reasonable to believe the quality of a high school facility has an impact on a) students’ desire to learn; b) creating an upbeat environment to work in; c) the economic well-being of the community?
Finally and importantly, isn’t it reasonable to think voting YES is our way of affirming a belief that quality public education strengthens our democracy?
One last suggestion: Please enter the time and date of the vote in your datebook, or any other place you keep track of your appointments. If you are like me, post the message in more than one spot. A sign on the front door works. June 2, 11 am to 7 pm, at your usual town ballot voting location.
Judith Miller
Vineyard Haven