Islanders Head to the Polls for Historic High School Vote

Voters flocked to the polls Tuesday for the special district election to decide on if the Island should move forward with the $333.5 million plan to revamp the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. 

The aging building, high cost of building and need to invest in education were on the minds of the first wave of residents casting their ballots. Town clerks across the Vineyard reported busy polling stations when they opened up at 11 a.m.

Voting will continue in each town until 7 p.m. 

Some of the most enthusiastic support for the project came from Deborah Maher in Oak Bluffs. She had strapped a hulking purple sign advertising the all-Island school vote to the top of her car.

“We need this for our kids and our future,” she said. “The fact that it’s an all-Island vote to me is very exciting, because we need to be one Island.”

Richard Combra, the highway superintendent in Oak Bluffs, was also in favor, citing the disrepair of the current high school facilities. 

“I know it’s a lot of money, and I know for a lot of people it’s a struggle to see that type of tax increase, but I don’t think we can put it off any longer,” Mr. Combra said. “I think it would be a source of pride for the Island.”

But voter Susan Desmarais, who voted no, said she’s skeptical and worried that the new school will deteriorate just like the old one did.

“If you were a parent of a kid that left their bike outside and it got all rusty, you’d say, well, I’m not going to buy another one until you take care of what you have,” she said.

In West Tisbury, more than 100 voters had come in by noon, along with 20 absentee ballots, said town clerk Tara Whiting-Wells. 

There are 2,750 registered voters in town, Ms. Whiting added, and she expected the turnout to continue at its present pace.

“It’s a beautiful day,” she said.

Neila Decker, former children’s librarian at the West Tisbury Library, had biked to the polls.

“I’m hopeful that all the people who have benefited from the high school, whether they have had kids there or maybe hired a high school graduate, vote yes today because they realize the essential benefit of education in a community,” she said.

Ms. Decker lingered outside talking to Tucker Hubbell, who was wearing his Polly Hill Arboretum hat.

“It’s a tough sell but I’m voting for it,” Mr. Hubbell said.

Although Mr. Hubbell worried about a potential drop in the number of high school students in years to come due to the high cost of living on the Island, he noted that he was “all in for education.”

Micah Thanhauser, of Merry Farm Pottery and father of three kids ages 6, 4 and 2, joined the conversation.

“I hope it passes so it doesn’t drag on forever,” he said.

The nearly two dozen people polled at the Chilmark Community Center in the first hour of voting were also largely in favor of the project. 

Residents, many of them retirees, cited the state of the building, the importance of supporting education and the financial benefit to completing the project now, with financial support from the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

“The place is a wreck,” said Lizabeth Larsen, who has a grandson who is a freshman at the high school, and another who is ten years old.  

Lucia and John Diamond, both retired, also voted yes. 

“I think it’s real important for the community to have good, strong schools and a good building,” said Mr. Diamond. “I know it’s expensive, but it’s a necessity, and it’s good for the community.” 

“I believe in a really good education, even though I don’t have any kids in school,” Ms. Diamond added.

Nancy Grundman voted alongside Eddie Stahl, accompanied by his daughter, 7th grader Lucille. 

“This is our future,” said Ms. Grundman, gesturing to Lucille. “They deserve to have a good environment for education.” 

Residents who voted against the measure cited the high price tag.

Everett Healy, a 23-year-old construction worker who grew up on the Vineyard and attended the charter school,  said he voted no.

“It’s too expensive,” he said. “It’s way too much money.”

In Tisbury, Sarah Hartenstine, arriving at the polls with her father Russ, voted yes with enthusiasm.

“I went to high school here, and I know how badly we need a new one. I had a ceiling tile fall on me in Spanish class one year,” said Ms. Hartenstine, who graduated in 2023.

Tisbury voter William Mabie also voted yes, saying Island children need every advantage to succeed and citing the school’s career and technical education programs.

“It’s just so expensive to live here. How can kids make it?” he said.

High school volunteer Tracey Stead arrived with her sons Griffin, 21 and Elliot, 19 and taking part in his first election. All three voted yes and said they’re looking forward to the youngest Stead brother, now 13, attending a new and improved school.

In Aquinnah, 21 people had cast their ballot on the school project in the first 90 minutes of voting. Town clerk Kayla Darcy said that was a good start for the Island’s smallest town. 

Resident and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) member Beverly Wright was one of the early voters. 

“It’s always important to vote,” she said. “We had our ancestors and everyone fight for our ability to vote, and I will say I was the first graduating class out of the regional high school in 1960, so I’ve seen the progress of how the school and the enrollment has grown.”

Ms. Wright hoped the measure gained approval and could move forward. 

“If you keep putting it off and you keep putting it off, it’s just going to cost us more and more,” she said.

In Edgartown, John Burritt was one of the first voters who came out of town hall, and said he supported the initiative. He felt it was important to take the approximately $77 million from the Massachusetts School Building Authority that was on offer. 

“I think it’d be foolish if we leave the state money on the table,” he said. “I think the building looks like it needs help.”

Soon after Mr. Burritt, Jonathan Chatinover, his wife Beth O’Connor and their son and former Dukes County commissioner Keith Chatinover, exited the town hall after voting.

Jonathan acknowledged that the $333.5 million price tag was high, but he said that just comes with any Island infrastructure. 

“It’s a lot of money, but you know it’s building on the Vineyard and the state is kicking in a good chunk,” he said. 

Ms. O’Connor voted in favor, but had some reservations about the project. She said initially her hesitancy was due to some of the scare tactics she had seen, but felt that wasn’t a good reason to vote it down. Still, she worried about what it could cost Islanders. 

“It’s going to be a real tax impact,” she said.  

Keith, a charter school graduate, also voted in favor.

“I just believe that our public schools should really promote excellence and I think that public institutions deserve to be pillars of the community,” he said.

Sara Piazza, who remembers the regional high school being formed when she was a child, voted against the idea, and was generally against a regional high school. Instead, she wished to see the high school grades return to the town schools, strengthening the individual town identities.

“I think there’s a lot to be said for mixing the grades and mixing the ages,” Ms. Piazza said. “It’s very healthy for little children to have big kids to look up to and for big kids to have little children that they might be able to mentor in the classroom.” 

Emma Kilbride, Charles Leitner, Haley Sandlow, Louisa Hufstader, Bill Eville and Ethan Genter contributed to this report. 

This article appears in June 5, 2026.