Enrollment is up this year at Island public schools, especially in Oak Bluffs which now sends the largest number of students to both its elementary school and the regional high school among the six Island towns.

As a conversation unfolds across the country about the value of pre-kindergarten learning and whether it should be incorporated into public school education, similar conversations are quietly taking place here. The idea of universal preschool is expected to be up for discussion this year.

While holding their place across the board for strong academic achievement, Vineyard public schools turned in mixed scores this year on the MCAS exam with some schools showing new areas that need improvement, especially when it comes to improving proficiency among low income, non-English-speaking and special needs students.

Island students went on board the whaling ship and explored its nooks and crannies. In the blubber room below decks, the children gathered to hear a Mystic Seaport educator speak about what happens after a whale is captured.

There’s no such thing as the talk anymore. And the awkward puberty book — that’s gone too. A new sex education pilot program at the West Tisbury School emphasizes normalizing the conversation about sexual health.

At a talk sponsored by the League of Women Voters, former superintendent Peter Palches and current superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss spoke of the need to regionalize administrative functions in Island schools . Mr. Palches has asked the League to make a study of the issue.