A public hearing on the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School budget has been rescheduled from Nov. 29 to Dec. 14, after school committee members said they wanted more time to review the budget before presenting it to the community.
While the school committee’s agreement with Island towns requires the budget to be approved on the first Monday in December, school district finance director Mark Friedman said that deadline has proved to be flexible in recent years.
“Over the past five years, in at least half of the years — if not more — we have gone into January before certifying the budget,” Mr. Friedman told committee members at their regular meeting Monday night online.
Island towns will need the high school’s certified budget numbers in mid-January, Mr. Friedman said.
The Dec. 14 meeting will begin at 7 p.m. online.
Among other business Monday, the school committee approved waivers allowing seventh and eighth-graders from town schools to join the high school swim team, as well as an agreement with the charter school allowing their students to join the team.
Assistant swim coach Jonathan Chatinover told the committee the approvals will help build up the high school swimming program, which is particularly short on girls.
Committee chairman Amy Houghton began Monday’s meeting by thanking school bus driver Monique Clermont for her quick work protecting a student from a reckless driver.
“A driver decided not to follow the stop lights and stop signs on the bus,” Ms. Houghton said.
At the same time, she said, Ms. Clermont saw a student about to step into the street.
“She was able to yell quickly to keep that student from crossing the road, and kept that child from being hit by a car,” Ms. Houghton said, inviting a virtual round of applause for Ms. Clermont.
“We’re so grateful,” Ms. Houghton said, as Ms. Clermont smiled onscreen.
The school committee’s next regular meeting is Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
