The debate over whether schools in West Tisbury and Chilmark should hire a school resource officer continued this week among members of the up-Island school committee.

At the district committee meeting Monday, held at the Aquinnah tribal headquarters, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss presented a new proposal: hire one West Tisbury officer to work half time and one Chilmark officer to work 15 hours a week.

Mr. Weiss said the officers would both attend a training program, have a vehicle available while on-duty and wear a modified police uniform — which includes the officer’s weapon. He also said the school resource officer will refrain from functioning as a school disciplinarian but rather be on campus to interact with students, staff and parents at the beginning and end of each day as well as investigate criminal activity on or around the school, if necessary.

Late last month the school committee got its first look at a $10.7 million draft budget for next year, which included the proposed school resource officer penciled in at an estimated cost of $80,000.

On Monday, committee members questioned if funding should come from somewhere else.

Chairman Michael Marcus said he supported the idea of adding regular police presence to schools up-Island but said funding should come from the police departments, not the up-Island school budget.

“I don’t want it on our budget if it doesn’t have to be because our budget is big enough,” he said.

Committee member Robert Lionette said he would back the schools funding the position, but not at the level requested. He cautioned against employing an officer full time and suggested the towns move more slowly. “If we do jump in it’s going to be with our budget,” he said.

Katherine DeVane and Theresa Manning, both at their first meeting since they were elected to the committee this month, agreed that the position should be in the school budget.

Committee member Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd, who is also a police sergeant in West Tisbury, said the police department should not pay for the officer.

In the end, the committee did not reach a consensus.

“They were all over the lot,” Mr. Weiss said after the meeting. “Basically they just decided that they will take this issue up again.”

The committee meets next on Nov. 17 at the Chilmark School.

Earlier at the meeting, the school committee briefly reviewed the Wampanoag education department Indian policies and procedures, a document that was last updated and approved by the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) in August 2009. The document is required for the town of Aquinnah to apply for impact aid funds, and will be reviewed again in December, Mr. Weiss said.

In other business, West Tisbury School principal Donna Lowell-Bettencourt gave an update on plans for a new school playground, including an estimated design cost of $18,520. The playground is a one-time capital expense. “We found a company in New Hampshire that can do the work for us,” she said.

Mr. Manter raised his eyebrows in shock at the cost. “Eighteen thousand dollars to design a playground?” he questioned.

“It pretty much can be built from this plan,” Mrs. Lowell-Bettencourt said.

She added that the price includes more than the drawing scope of services and includes landscape design for the two-acre plot of land. She said she would bring more information, including alternative cost estimates, to the next meeting.

“Playgrounds are tricky. There are a lot of compliance issues,” the principal said.