There were tears shed at our house last week; no doubt the same scene unfolded in other homes throughout Tisbury. We are shocked, frustrated, and angry to learn that our children have been exposed to unsafe conditions resulting from chipping lead paint. Parents, already worn thin at the end of a long summer, are hustling to find child care for a delayed school start on short notice. Parents are distraught, faced with uncertainty regarding where their children will attend school when it does start, and how safe that location may be. Despite all this, the most tears were shed by our children, who were looking forward to the start of school and disappointed that they would have to wait another week to see their teachers and friends. They love their school and are proud to wear their Tisbury Tiger T-shirts wherever we go. It’s shameful that the town of Tisbury can not provide and/or maintain a facility on par with the exceptional education we’ve been provided with at the Tisbury School.

A quick fix isn’t the solution; it’s neither effective or fiscally responsible. Get the modular classrooms here, expedite the new building planning process, organize a special town meeting to allocate the funds required. Get it done and get it done right, we will accept nothing less. Make the Tisbury School the number one priority that it absolutely should be.

Angie Francis and James Moffatt

Vineyard Haven