The regional high school has run out of money for planning and design work on the new track and field at the school, after an exhaustive review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last year drained the funds, school leaders said.

At a meeting of the regional high school district committee Monday night, finance manager Mark Friedman reported that the initial planning and design fund of $350,000 for the track and field project is down to less than $5,000.

The MVC approved the project as a development of regional impact (DRI) in August, after a public hearing process that stretched on for months, requiring expert testimony and additional work by consultants. The architect for the project is Chris Huntress of Huntress Designs. The project is now under review at the local level, with a special permit application pending in front of the Oak Bluffs planning board.

On Monday high school committee member Kris O’Brien said more funds are needed to get the regulatory review to the finish line.

“After the most exhaustive review in the history of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, we’ve exhausted our resources,” said Ms. O’Brien, who moved to transfer $66,200 from surplus funds to keep the project on track.

The $7 million project is phase one of an $11 million overhaul of the athletic field complex. Money for construction is planned to come from private donors, but the $350,000 planning and design phase has been funded by taxpayers using surplus funds from the high school budget. The funding was approved by Island voters at town meetings more than two years ago.

But the project has become deeply bogged down in bitter debate over the plan to rebuild the main playing field using artificial turf.

More debate and complications cropped up recently when the Oak Bluffs board of health began discussing a possible ban on artificial turf in town out of concern over PFAS chemicals. Deliberations on the proposed ban are expected to continue this month.

At the meeting Monday night school committee members split along up-Island down-Island lines over whether to approve the added funding.

“This is not what the contingency fund was created for,” said committee member Skip Manter from West Tisbury.

But committee chairman Amy Houghton argued that the $66,200 expense is within the scope of the contract with designers for the project.

Ms. Houghton also said whatever the outcome at the board of health, the school will still need a special permit from the planning board to build the track.

“Regardless of where things end up for the Oak Bluffs board of health . . . we have to put this up for the track itself,” she said.

Attempts by some committee members to steer discussion into debate over synthetic turf were shot down by Ms. Houghton, who suggested members call for the topic to be added to a future meeting if they wish to discuss it.

Ms. O’Brien agreed.

“This isn’t about whether there’s a grass infield or a synthetic infield,” she said. “We need to get the kids a track.”

In the end the committee voted to approve the $66,200 transfer. Mr. Manter and committee members Roxanne Ackerman and Robert Lionette from Aquinnah and Chilmark voted no.