The new Chilmark preschool building broke ground in June and construction is scheduled to be finished in time for the upcoming school year.
The building won’t be the only change for the 2026/27 school year, though. Casey Esposito, the interim program director at the preschool, has been chosen as the new director, taking over from outgoing director Anja May.
She became the interim director in July and was officially hired in early November.
“Casey has already proven to be a fabulous addition to the Chilmark Preschool team, serving as our interim director in the fall,” board of directors president Rebekah Thomson said. “We are truly grateful for Anja’s years of commitment, leadership and care, which have helped shape the preschool into the warm, creative and community-centered place it is today.”
Ms. Esposito’s love for teaching was born in Chilmark, where she attended the playschool program at the community center as a summer kid visiting from New Jersey. When she was nine years old, she realized she didn’t want to be more than a camper.
“I started coming to camp and just volunteering and playing with the little ones, and then I got hired as the youngest staff member when I was 11,” she said during a recent tour the new preschool building.
“It just feels so right to be here,” she added.
Ms. Esposito was a music education major at the University of Rhode Island and for a decade worked in the Warwick public school system. She moved to the Island full-time in 2020 and soon began working at the Chilmark School where she taught music classes at the preschool and offered education support to the elementary school. She has two children currently attending the Chilmark School, one of whom attended the preschool.
Ms. Esposito said she is excited to lead the school into its next era. The new preschool will have two toddler classrooms and one preschool classroom, servicing a total of 38 students. The $4.6 million project is still in fundraising mode, with less than $1 million to raise.
“I look forward to servicing toddlers because it’s a huge need in our community,” she said. “We have a working community. Moms and dads are working all day every day, and they need safe, loving care for their kids, and I’m incredibly honored to be a part of that.”
Living on the Island adds another level of closeness within the community, she noted, pointing to the new preschool building as a perfect example of this.
“The people that are building the building are friends, community members, former parents of Chilmark preschool,” Ms. Esposito said. “This building feels so full circle and such a community piece. So many people have poured their love and time and efforts into making this happen.”
As the preschoolers were enjoying snack time, Ms. Esposito reflected on her new role.
“To be the one [where] all I have to do is be here with a smile on my face, to be that helper and give a high five or give a hug or give a band aid or zip a jacket, is so rewarding,” she said.
This article appears in January 30, 2026.
The kids are lucky to have had Anja and the program will continue to thrive with Casey at the helm. Congratulations to all on this important progress!
Great to see this school, founded by Chris Abrams in 2005, finally get a permanent home. Working island parents desperately need preschool and toddler education options.