Citing fixed costs associated with experienced teachers and the uniqueness of the Island’s school, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School presented its budget this week at $16.9 million, an increase of $307,300, or 1.85 per cent, over last year.

Noting that the high school is unique as the only Island school that offers a comprehensive program, principal Stephen Nixon said the school tried to cut costs where it could while maintaining “the quality of education we’re used to here.”

In discussing the budget, Mr. Nixon stressed the unusual nature of the regional high school. “There is no other school like ours,” he said at a budget meeting Monday.

The school’s combination of traditional core classes, vocational programs and special education classes, combined with the Island location, make it “totally different than any other school in the commonwealth,” the principal said.

The school offers 39 special education class sections, 30 vocational class sections, and 17 Advanced Placement class sections.

Of 266 budget lines, 166 are level funded or have decreased from last year. Most of the increased expenses come from a 2.75 per cent contractual salary increase and an increase in classes needed or required.

There is “very, very little in this budget that’s actually flexible,” Mr. Nixon said.

Salaries account for 54 per cent of the budget, and retirement, debt service, and insurance account for another 26 per cent.

State revenue has decreased by $510,184 over the last four years, Dr. Nixon said, adding that he did not want education quality to suffer because of the cuts. With the raises and revenue cuts, the school’s assessed expenses have increased by 3.14 per cent.

Mr. Nixon said 65 per cent of the school’s staff, about 70 teachers, are at the top of the pay scale, with the higher salaries acquired through years of service and degree level. About 84 per cent of teachers and guidance counselors have an advanced degree, he said, and more than half the staff is 49 years old or older.

Younger teachers, who are often single, are hard to keep on the Island, Mr. Nixon said, while those that stay often have a previous connection to the Island. The cost of living here is also a factor in operating costs and salary, he said.

Staff years of experience and advanced degrees, combined with a high cost of living, results in “increased costs and salaries, but a better quality of education, with a proven, experienced staff, who have provided community stability,” Mr. Nixon wrote in the presentation.

The student population has decreased from 800 students in 2008 to an estimated 700 students in 2012, Mr. Nixon said. In response, the number of course sections have been reduced, going from 176 in 2005 to 156 projected for 2012.

The school has also added additional classes that were not required several years ago, including four MCAS classes and six personalized education plan classes for students with failing MCAS scores or scores that need improvement. These classes are required by the state, Mr. Nixon said.

Five emotional or behavioral sections have also been added to the curriculum, serving the needs of Island students who would otherwise have to attend another school off the Island — an expensive option.

To reduce staff numbers, the school will not fill the position of a guidance counselor who is retiring at the end of the year, and is beginning to phase out the Early Child Vocation program, with few students in the program.

Mr. Nixon also offered comparisons between Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and other schools with comparable programs or locations. Noting that in some places, old data was used in compiling the statistics, he said:

• Per-pupil spending is $23,439 at the regional high school, compared to $20,675 at Cape Cod Tech, $28,962 at Minuteman Career and Technical School, $14,040 at Falmouth High School, and $22,810 at Nantucket High School.

• The attendance rate at the high school is 94.1. The state average is 94.6 per cent.

• The high school graduation rate is 92.8 per cent, compared to 91.5 at Cape Cod Tech, 88.5 at Minuteman, 84.3 at Falmouth High School, and 88.2 per cent at Nantucket. The state average is 82.1 per cent.

• Average teacher salary is $83,893 at the high school here, compared to $83,805 on Nantucket, $71,156 at Falmouth High School, $80,0003 at Minuteman and $71,421 at Cape Cod Tech. The state average is $68,781. However, Mr. Nixon said with current figures, the average teacher is salary is closer to $70,000, almost exactly the same as the current teacher salary in Nantucket.

• Special education is 25 per cent of the school population, compared to a 17 per cent state average.

• Special education students have a 100 per cent five-year graduation rate, Mr. Nixon said, compared to 69.3 per cent at Nantucket High School and a 64.9 per cent state average. About 67 per cent of the special education students are full inclusion, compared with a 57 per cent state average and 52 per cent of students at Nantucket High School.

The high school here has a smaller percentage of students whose first language is not English (9.2 per cent) compared to the state average of 16.3 per cent. The state average for low-income students is 34.2 per cent, while that number is 10.2 per cent at the Island regional high school.

The district school committee for the high school is set to vote on the budget on Monday, Dec. 5, at the high school. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.