Regional high school principal Steven Nixon presented a $16.6 million draft operating budget to a school subcommittee Monday night, a 1.01 percent increase over last year. Even with many staff and faculty receiving contractual step increases this year, the budget remains nearly flat due to retirements and the elimination of the home economics program.

At an Oct. 21 budget subcommittee meeting, Mr. Nixon announced the program would be cut, with similar classes to be offered in the culinary vocation program. “We’re looking into incorporating basic cooking skills into the culinary department, and work it through that,” Mr. Nixon said. “We’re working with the vocational department and making [the classes] better; it’s not a very healthy food offering.”

Eliminating the teaching program will save $62,000, with an additional $12,000 saved in insurance payments.

“It’s the third straight year we’ve had to do cuts, but we try for the cuts to be meaningful,” Mr. Nixon said yesterday in a telephone interview. “We’re trying to be educationally responsible and fiscally responsible so it doesn’t have a major impact to education. That’s the bottom line, not the number.”

He described this year’s budget as a combination of cuts and savings, with an additional cut of a clerical position in the vocational department, and savings that can be tracked to switching from one medical insurance plan to another for teachers and staff.

The high school was going to request $75,000 to repair and resurface the athletic field track, but decided to wait for the results of a feasibility study budgeted for this fiscal year. Depending on the results of the study, the school may look to available funds in this year’s budget, including excess and deficiency funds.

The other long-term maintenance project is the capital improvement plan, which looks at building improvements in the next five years. The high school is currently coming up with a schedule for projects such as new shingling.

A new full-time building and grounds coordinator will be hired; the $72,000 position will be funded primarily from money already allocated for the assistant director of athletics, a position that was cut in this year’s budget.

The special education department will receive $28,000 in funding for a new teaching assistant for a student who requires one-on-one assistance, and an additional $10,000 will be made available for teachers to attend conferences for a total of $20,000.

“We ask teachers to keep up with their certification and ask them to go to conferences in order for them to stay on the cutting edge of education,” Mr. Nixon told the committee at the October meeting. “There was not enough per teacher so we increased it.”

Other spending increases include setting aside $25,000 for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation evaluation in 2013. The money pays for accommodations and food for the team evaluating the school; the assessment occurs every 10 years.

In other business on Monday night, Mr. Nixon said two new committees will be formed to review disciplinary and scheduling policies. Assistant principals Andy Berry and Matt Malowski will head the committees.

Vineyard schools superintendent James H. Weiss told the committee the school is still unable to find an instructor for the driver’s education program; however Mr. Weiss remained hopeful they would be able to find someone for next semester. The instructor must be accredited by the registry of motor vehicles and have at least one year’s experience working at a private company in order to be able to teach at the high school.

The school committee also signed on to be part of the Dukes County Other-Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) trust, a trust for post-retiree benefits. Money in the trust will guarantee life insurance to high school employees and other regional entities, including the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank.

Talk turned to food when Leslie Floyd introduced herself to the committee as the new Chartwells representative at the high school. Chartwells is the catering company for the high school cafeteria; the company’s contract is up in January. Ms. Floyd, who is also a chef, pledged to work with the students and respond to their needs.

“Every time a child makes a suggestion it is duly noted and if I can do it I will,” she said. Ms. Floyd suggested a student competition with the support of the culinary department for the best nutritional snack.

Finally, the committee marked longtime committee member Susan Parker’s last meeting with an honorary plaque and expressions of gratitude. “It’s been a pleasure,” Mrs. Parker said of her eight-year term. “Keep working for the kids.”