The future of Tisbury’s historic public elementary school will be in the hands of town voters this weekend when they convene a special town meeting to take up a $55 million overhaul of the crumbling old brick school.
Tisbury students had their belated first day of school Monday, with students in grades five through eight going to the regional high school and K through fourth staying in the newer wing of the town school.
Tisbury School teachers and administrators are preparing for the first day of school in unfamiliar territory, as town leaders work on a plan repair or rebuild the ailing school facility.
Test results for lead and asbestos at the Tisbury School were released to the public this week. The testing found elevated levels of chipping, lead-based paint in classrooms and bathrooms.
A community of teachers, staff, administrators, public officials and parents remains at odds over a daunting — and mounting — set of problems at the aging brick school that dates to 1929.
In the latest twist for the Tisbury School students, superintendent Matthew D’Andrea announced in a letter to parents Monday afternoon that kindergarten through fourth graders will no longer be relocated to Camp Jabberwocky.
Students at the Tisbury School will be relocated indefinitely and the start of school will be delayed, following confirmation that chipping lead paint inside the aging building poses a potential health hazard.
