Plans for a new Chilmark preschool took a step forward this week in an attempt to solve the school’s ongoing space crunch.

The select board Tuesday voted to proceed with a new building plan presented by the Friends of the Chilmark Preschool. 

The new building, which would have to go through several further layers of approval, is proposed to be situated across from the elementary school, on the opposite side of the existing playground. The Friends of the Chilmark Preschool said the new building is designed to be about 2,600 square feet, with two main classrooms, two bathrooms, a foyer and rooms for faculty. 

Town voters approved the construction of a new preschool at the annual town meeting in 2023, but left several of the specifics open. In January, a special town meeting approved leasing a plot of town land behind the elementary school for the new building. 

Since its founding in 2005, the preschool has used excess space in the town elementary school for its classes. But enrollment has doubled in the last 15 years and the preschool has outgrown its current footprint.

Besides confirming that the square footage adhered to what voters approved back at the January special town meeting, there was little discussion about the building plan at Tuesday’s select board meeting. 

A major obstacle for the project has been the drafting of an official 30-year lease, which would be between the town of Chilmark, the Up-Island Regional School District and the Friends of the Chilmark Preschool.  

The original lease was only between the town and the Friends of the Chilmark Preschool, which lawyers have raised numerous issues about, according to select board chair James Malkin. 

The board has talked about the lease in several recent meetings and representatives from three groups expect to meet within the next month to iron out the specifics.