Town Government
Aquinnah School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Jaime L. Curley, Ed.D.
About 408 students start their day in the up-island schools, and one person answers for the district that runs them. Jaime L. Curley, Ed.D. leads the Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools, the shared superintendency that includes the Up-Island Regional School District, proposing the school budget, setting academic priorities, and overseeing the schools day to day. Curley took office on July 1, 2026. The Superintendent is hired by and reports to the elected School Committee, which carries out an annual evaluation. Because the district is regional, that committee answers to three towns at once: Aquinnah shares it with Chilmark and West Tisbury. Aquinnah has no school building of its own, so its children attend the district’s up-island schools and then the all-island high school.
| Role | Superintendent, Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools |
|---|---|
| District | Up-Island Regional School District (Aquinnah, Chilmark, West Tisbury), DESE code 07740000 |
| Website | mvyps.org |
The School Committee
The Up-Island Regional School Committee has five seats, and not one of them appears on Aquinnah’s own May town ballot, or on Chilmark’s or West Tisbury’s. The committee’s own minutes record that its members are elected by town or as at-large representatives, and that the whole committee stands for election in November 2026. When an at-large seat fell vacant in 2025 the committee advertised it in the island newspapers, interviewed, and filled it by its own vote for the rest of the term. The committee sets district policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent who runs the schools day to day. Its meetings are public, which means an Aquinnah student who shows up can speak.
Robert Lionette
Marsha Shufrin
Skipper Manter
Jessica Mason
Alex Salop
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: about 408 students.
- Schools: two, the West Tisbury School and the Chilmark School; Aquinnah has no school in town.
- High school: up-island students go on to the all-island Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
- State data: DESE profile (code 07740000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: monthly during the school year, with agendas posted on the school website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee with the chair’s permission. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are posted online through the district.
Curious how a bill becomes law, or how students can take on a civics project?
MassCivics last checked this page on September 13, 2026.
Sources
- School district records: Up-Island Regional School District, UIRSC minutes, August 18, 2025, as of August 18, 2025.