Tisbury voters overwhelmingly supported a plan to remediate chipping lead paint at the town’s school Tuesday night, appropriating $1.5 million at a special town meeting to fund a project that school officials hope will have students reunited in the ailing building by January.

The vote comes nearly two months after testing revealed elevated levels of lead in many of the school’s classrooms, delaying the start of school for one week and forcing half the student body to relocate to a sequestered area of the regional high school. Voters also approved a second warrant article that appropriated $450,000 to cover the costs associated with the move.

At the meeting Tuesday, voters poured into the school gymnasium with stickers saying “I am the Tisbury School.” When moderator Deborah Medders asked the school committee, teachers, staff and town officials to rise for a round of applause, the Tisbury Tiger was also apparent on lapels.

Melinda Loberg, chairman of the selectmen, opened the meeting with introductory remarks, asking a different group to rise for their own moment of thanks.

“I would like to that thank . . . the parents and families,” Mrs. Loberg said. “The burden has fallen most squarely on their shoulders.”

As the parents rose, they were met with rousing applause.

School superintendent Matthew D’Andrea then outlined his most recent iteration of the plan for the school. Although officials had previously stated that they would pursue lead remediation while moving students to modular classrooms, Mr. D’Andrea told voters that he had abandoned that plan after realizing the expenses and lengthy timeline associated with the logistics of setting up the facilities. Instead, he said that after consulting with state health officials, he was convinced that remediation work could be done safely with kids in the building.

The superintendent said remediation will cost $300,000 and could begin by November. Work on the ground floor of the school will be completed first, allowing students to use the cafeteria, with work continuing to the second and third floors, Mr. D’Andrea said. He added that the funds transferred from the town stabilization fund will also cover work to improve the school’s air quality.

“This is the option that I am recommending and I hope you will support it tonight,” Mr. D’Andrea said.

Justin Lucas asked why modular classrooms were included on the warrant article if the school officials had moved away from that plan.

“We wanted the scope of this article broad enough so that we could be responsive in a quick manner,” town administrator Jay Grande said.

Parent Anna Cotton, who has a third-grader at the school, said she supported the plan.

“I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Ms. Cotton said. “I feel like the school committee and the selectmen finally get it . . . this is a really amazing opportunity for the town to come together to do something that is productive.”

When it came time to vote, nearly every person in the room stood in favor of the article, passing the measure 208-1. Voters then quickly passed a second warrant article with no discussion, 212-1. Mr. D’Andrea said the $450,000 from the second article was to cover the unanticipated costs of locating kids at two different schools, including hiring an extra nurse and other personnel to accommodate children before and after school, as well as the increased costs of transportation.

“We’re confident that the $450,000 will be enough,” Mr. D’Andrea said.

The meeting adjourned in less than an hour with a collective sigh of relief, as the community stood up for — and stood behind — a plan that officials said would have the school fully open after the start of the new year.

“Over the past month, I have learned a considerable amount about lead paint abatement,” Mr. D’Andrea said during the meeting. “But most importantly we have learned that the school department and school committee must improve communication and coordination to ensure that this does not happen again.”