The Tisbury elementary school will remain on its existing site follow a narrow vote by the school building committee Wednesday evening.

The committee voted 8-7 to remove an alternate location, the town-owned Manter well property off Holmes Hole Road on the outskirts of town, from consideration. Two voting members of the committee were not present.

Plans for a new or renovated facility will now focus on the site of the existing school building, which was built in 1929 and is located on Spring street in the heart of town. The committee has yet to decide between building a new three-story building or completing a renovation and addition to the existing building.

The town planning board, selectmen, and Tisbury school committee had all endorsed keeping the school building where it is, while the school advisory committee and some teachers endorsed moving the building to the Manter well site.

Superintendent Matthew D’Andrea, a nonvoting member of the school building committee, also threw his support behind the Manter well site. But after the vote, he said the committee should move forward.

“I think the committee has spoken -- we stay unified and move forward,” Mr. D’Andrea said. “This is great opportunity for kids, and a great opportunity for a new school. This is the way it works, you vote and you move forward.”

Teacher Sean DeBettencourt said that though teachers preferred the Manter well site, their second preference was a new three-story construction on the current site.

“No matter what solution we come to, any improvement to our facilities will wholeheartedly be endorsed by our educational faculty,” he said.

In a second vote, the board unanimously voted to remove a proposal for a new two-story building from consideration.

The next building committee meeting is scheduled for June 19 at 7 p.m., when the board plans to vote on the remaining two options, a renovation and addition or a new three-story school.