The standard of education at the West Tisbury School was a topic for discussion during the most recent up-Island regional school district meeting.

School committee member and West Tisbury representative Michael Marcus had asked parents to attend the meeting to discuss ideas for raising the academic bar.

Mr. Marcus said parents who have sent their children to off-Island schools such as the Falmouth Academy had approached him to say student needs were not being met on the Island.

“Part of the reason I’m here tonight is that I think this school can provide what much of what my daughter is getting across the pond,” said Amy Houghton, parent to a fifth grade West Tisbury student and a seventh grader at Falmouth Academy. “I think at the middle school level it becomes more difficult for the school probably, but there’s a focus on and expenditure to a great extent for kids who have special needs. Somehow kids who want to learn and behave in class are sort of overlooked.”

Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss said 10 of the top 20 graduating seniors at the regional high school last year were from West Tisbury.

“You represent the smallest elementary school on the Island; we’ve got to be doing something right,” Mr. Weiss said.

Parent Kathy Joba whose children attend the West Tisbury School said she believes there is room for improvement.

“It’s not all bad . . . [the administration] is really addressing the issue, and it’s not going to be an instant fix,” Ms. Joba said. “The whole thing about [special education], which I truly support, is all kids have special needs in some ways. Some kids that have the gift and can excel maybe do deserve individual attention, but there should be resources for kids that need the extra help.”

Committee chairman Dan Cabot said budget constraints have limited the ability to expand programs at the school.

But Mr. Marcus said there should be no constraints on expanded thinking about improvements to educational programs.

“I don’t want to put fear of the budget into programs . . . this is part of why I wanted to have an open discussion about these things,” he said.

Not all who attended the meeting were critics. School librarian and parent Stephanie Dryer praised the school for producing top graduates from the high school and embracing students in different capacities.

“If you look at the schools and colleges they’re getting into, they are phenomenal schools. Both of my daughters excelled . . . it’s because of here and the community that we live in and what comes into this building,” she said. “This school is phenomenal. I respect the private choice of education, but we have a gem here.”

In other business, Island Grown Schools coordinator Noli Taylor told the committee the nonprofit is hiring a consultant to explore expanding and renovating the West Tisbury School kitchen to accommodate the preparation of school lunches for both the West Tisbury and Chilmark schools.

Island Grown Initiative will pay for the study.

And the committee gave a warm welcome to returning West Tisbury School principal Michael Halt, who returned to the Vineyard this week from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Mr. Halt resumes his leadership role this coming week.