Nantucket School Committee approves policies, minutes, donations and Iceland field trip; votes no on school-choice participation

The Nantucket School Committee on April 14 carried a series of routine and policy votes and formally declined participation in the state’s school-choice option for 2026–27.

On policy JFBB (school choice participation), the committee clarified that Nantucket operates one school per grade band and therefore has no intra-district choice; the committee moved and approved a vote of "No" to participation for the 2026–27 academic year. Roll-call votes recorded Esmeralda Martinez, Laura Gallagher Byrne, Tim Murphy, Vince Murphy and Shantal Blaise Murphy voting in favor of the motion. The motion carried.

The committee then approved policy EFBA (school food and nutrition meal modifications), policy EFE (civil-rights compliance for child nutrition programs), and policy EHB (data and records retention). Roll-call votes were recorded as carried; the chair announced the motions carried.

The committee approved the February 10 and March 3, 2026 meeting minutes, accepted a $331 donation from Friends of NPS for clay in the NIS art room, approved transfers and invoices, and approved a high school field trip to Iceland scheduled April 19–23, 2027. Motions on these items were moved, seconded and carried by recorded or voice vote as noted on the record.

Votes recorded on the transcript for individual items list committee members affirming the motions; where roll-call names were read in sequence the record shows Esmeralda Martinez, Laura Gallagher Byrne, Tim Aubrey (on some items), Tim Murphy, Vince Murphy and Shantal Blaise Murphy voting in favor of motions at the meeting.

The meeting adjourned after a brief request for hybrid-meeting etiquette guidance.