The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee unanimously certified a $16.9 million 2013 school budget on Monday, paving the way for Island towns to vote on the school’s budget at their spring town meetings. The certified budget marks a 1.85 per cent increase from Fiscal Year 2012.

As he did at a budget hearing last week, Principal Steve Nixon stressed to the school committee that out of six major categories on the budget, spending for two categories dropped, and one increased by .05 percent.

Revenue in Fiscal Year 2013 is expected to be down by about $106,463, and with contractual raises and revenue cuts, assessed expenses have increased by 3.14 percent.

The committee discussed plans to phase-out the early child vocational program, with Dr. Nixon noting that there are now about six students in the program. “We don’t take these decisions lightly and we don’t make them quickly,” he said, adding that the school might look at replacing the early child program with another program that will draw more student interest.