The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee has vowed to continue its legal fight with the Oak Bluffs planning board, but paying for the court battle could be complicated.
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee has vowed to continue its legal fight with the Oak Bluffs planning board, which this week announced it will appeal last month’s Massachusetts Land Court decision allowing the school to proceed with plans for an artificial turf field.
“We are enthusiastically moving forward, supported by the land court’s decision,” school committee chair Kathryn Schertzer said Friday morning, at a special meeting that was mostly taken up by a 45-minute executive session with attorney Brian Winner.
But paying for the court battle could be complicated.
Following the closed session, school finance director Suzanne Cioffi told the committee that once Mr. Winner has been paid for his most recent invoices, just $225 will remain from $5,000 in cash donations the school received for the case in July.
That’s not quite enough for the $300-an-hour lawyer’s time at the Friday meeting, let alone the work of preparing for the Oak Bluffs planning board’s upcoming appeal.
“[Mr. Winner]’s not going to be able to do what we discussed in executive session,” committee member Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter said Friday.
The school committee voted in May not to use legal funds from the high school budget to pay for the turf field litigation, after multiple town meetings voted down the entire school budget in protest over the case.
Ms. Schertzer said that more donations could come in before the committee’s next meeting on Jan. 8.
“It is not beneath me to ask for it, because at this time of year many people are looking for opportunities for tax shelters and end of year donations. So there it is: I put it out there, both to the universe and [to] the public,” she said.
Public debate over the proposed artificial turf field has raged since 2016, when parents first pitched the idea to the high school committee.
The committee voted 5-4 in favor of the field in early 2019, as part of the planned comprehensive overhaul of high school facilities.
More than two years later, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission approved the plan in a 10-6 vote, with its approval remaining in effect until after all legal appeals have been completed.
The Oak Bluffs planning board rejected the turf field in a 2-2 tie in the spring of 2022, touching off the current litigation. A state Land Court judge earlier this year said the planning board overstepped its authority when it denied the project.

Comments
Donations to the MVRHS school
Terry Donahue EdgartownDonations to the MVRHS school board legal fundwill not be a problem.
There are a lot of us who have been working to get the playing fields approved who are not going to allow the opponents to stop this effort.
Can someone let us OB
Dave OBCan someone let us OB taxpayers know how much the lawyers are getting paid by the OB planning board? And how much more we will pay as taxpayers for an ego trip?
Lawyers make money off of OB
Sharon Oak BluffsLawyers make money off of OB while our kids have no fields. Senseless.
People are getting tired of
J Klingensmith Naples, FloridaPeople are getting tired of donating for the cause, I know I am for one. Its seems like all we do is give money so lawyers can argue.
Do people realize that many
Todd EdgartownDo people realize that many NFL players are fighting to go back to natural grass fields. The players feel that artificial turf is the cause for most of the serious injuries that occur every weekend in the NFL. They believe torn ACLs, torn Achilles, sprained ankles and concussions happen more often on turf than grass. The reason is there isn’t any give on turf when planting your foot into the ground to make a cut. More concussions happen on turf because of the hard surface of turf. Maybe it is time to step back and listen to what the NFL players are saying about turf fields and make the right decision to stick with grass for the safety of our children.
The amount of $$$ spent to
Edward FLThe amount of $$$ spent to date by both sides, you could probably re-sod the entire High School property and keep it in mint condition for years to come.
Artificial turf is bad for
John Edgartown, MAArtificial turf is bad for the environment and bad for the players. The NFLPA favors grass to reduce injuries. It’s also an artificial eye sore that is not in line with the natural beauty of MV.
This is personal for these
Tom Engley West TisburyThis is personal for these proponents.
I say it’s public not personal grow up put your big boy pants on and admit you’ve lost. I don’t want to get personal so I won’t mention who I’m referring to in this fools errand.
I for one am in favor of a
Steven B Gentle Western MassI for one am in favor of a turf field, no matter the cost, I've sobbed in the past and will donate again in the future... what ever it takes
Since when has throwing money
Mark Acker VHSince when has throwing money at lawyers ever worked? They often perpetuate the problem as it increases their legal fees.This could have been all settled with an Island ballot. No cost, done in one day, and final.
Why cant this be voted on at
Ken Edg.Why cant this be voted on at the town meetings?
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