While the Martha’s Vineyard Museum continues to stall on the question of shifting its base to the old Edgartown school, selectmen have formally put the historic building back on the market.

Following six months of debate, the museum board of directors Friday voted to ask the town for more time, requesting a one-year option to lease the building for $1.

But that request was denied by the Edgartown selectmen, who voted Monday to prepare a request for proposals for the school, putting the building up for grabs once more.

The old brick school has been vacant for five years. Efforts to find a new use for the building were put on hold while the museum considered moving its operations earlier this year.

“I would like to move ahead on this,” said selectman Margaret Serpa at the meeting. “[The museum has had] more than ample time, and there are several groups that have expressed interest.”

Chairman Arthur Smadbeck was unequivocal on the museum’s request for a year-long option.

“We’re not going to do that, we can’t do that,” he said this week. But he remained optimistic about the museum’s involvement.

“I’m hopeful we’ll find some educational use. The museum may have a part of it, who knows? It was an old school and it should be preserved for that reason,” he said.

Concerns over financing are at the heart of the museum’s continuing delay on a capital campaign which began back in 2003.

Convening last Friday night for a regular meeting, the museum board heard a report from a planning committee made up of board members and formed specifically to research the best venue for the museum’s expansion.

According to the executive director of the museum, Keith Gorman, an initial vote to abandon the old school option was defeated. A second motion carried, to approach the town with a request for a one-year option on the school while the prospect is further investigated.

Mr. Gorman, who is on vacation this week, was upbeat about the outcome.

“People feel really good about where we are this year,” he said. “I think there’s just a sense of, let’s be cautious about financial risk at this time. But the board had a very active discussion. They told the planning committee they wanted more information and more financial analysis and to report back. The board wants some additional financial information before they make a decision.”

Mr. Gorman said the board is taking a pragmatic approach given the financial realities of the day.

“For me it’s actually sort of a breakthrough,” he said.

In 2003, in what were to be the first steps in a $27 million capital campaign, the museum purchased 10 acres of land in West Tisbury, between the Polly Hill Arboretum and the Agricultural Hall. That year it also paid $75,000 to dismantle and transport an antique dairy barn from the town of Shirley to the West Tisbury site.

That barn remains on site, in pieces and under tarpaulin.

“Many board members were involved in the initial planning and design, who think it’s still a very interesting and viable option,” said Mr. Gorman. “They like the historic and environmental location and think there is appeal in terms of access and use going both down and up-Island. There is space to build and expand use and access.”

Meanwhile the museum continues to operate from the campus on the corner of Cooke and School streets, where the executive staff say they are dealing with significant space limitations.

Mr. Gorman said that it was a well-attended meeting and that a few members participated by telephone. Two new members were also voted in at the meeting, bringing the number of board members to 28.