Facilities planning, early intervention for attendance problems, junior varsity sports policies and the search for a new principal all occupied the regional high school district committee at its first meeting of the new school year.

Tears were wiped away, encouraging words spoken and Tisbury School kids of all grades joined their counterparts across the Island on the first day of school.

A new science center is on the horizon for the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, thanks to a large gift from a longtime Edgartown summer resident. Robert Day will donate a total of $500,000, including $400,000 for the science center.

Summer break is coming to an end and Vineyard schools will be back in session on Tuesday. This marks Matthew D’Andrea’s freshman year as superintendent of the Island public school system.

Overcrowding in West Tisbury kindergarten classes for this year led to brief discussion last week among school committee members about capping the number of kindergartners coming from Aquinnah.

Margaret (Peg) Regan, the former longtime principal at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, takes over as interim principal on Monday, following news last week that Gilbert Traverso had resigned the top post.