AMHERST — Two school buildings that the district will no longer be using are being relinquished to the town.
With little discussion at its June 16 meeting, the School Committee voted unanimously to turn Wildwood School, the 14.3-acre 71 Strong St. site, over to the town effective Sept. 1, while taking a similar unanimous vote at its June 25 meeting regarding the South Amherst school campus, 1001 South East St.
The vote on Wildwood came after a May discussion in which committee members contemplated placing restrictions on how the site could be used. The town has set aside money for planning for the site in the fiscal year 2027 budget, earmarking capital funding for community visioning sessions regarding the property.
This summer, some school programming is continuing at the school and Amherst Recreation’s offices have been relocated to the building from the middle school, though Wildwood will no longer be used as a K-6 school when the new Amethyst Brook School opens in late August.
Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman told the school committee that it was urgent to relinquish the school because of the possible budgetary impact, such as the cost of utilities. Maintenance and upkeep for $25,900 is included in the fiscal year 2027 budget, mostly to get the building through the summer months.
Committee members were unsure if they had already turned over the South Amherst school building. The town has been exploring the future of that property, likely for some kind of housing, since the alternative day school program, Summit Academy, relocated to the high school several years ago.
The vote on Wildwood came after the School Committee made two decisions on the fiscal year 2027 budget that direct Herman on various spending, which she contended would be micromanaging the schools.
The first decision centered on applying an additional $120,000 to the budget, supported by the Town Council, that will be targeted for reading and math interventionists.
Committee member Sarah Marshall said this additional money should be put toward intervention services in a general way, rather than specific positions, as the committee members don’t know exactly the best way to spend the money. But the motion called for funding specific positions that had been on the chopping block.
Herman called this a “hasteful decision” that impacts the operations of the district, observing that enrollments change and this could tie her hands.
“That’s a decision you will have to live with as a school committee,” Herman said. “I am not in agreement with how you’re doing it, but as long as it doesn’t fall on this adminisration when something doesn’t work in regards to supporting children, that’s all I would like to say.”
The second decision centered on possibly reallocating $187,500 from a combination of sources, including central office expenses, consulting fees and contingency money, to fund five designated, full-time paraprofessionals for music, art, technology, library and physical education.
The committee’s vote came despite school officials informing the school committee that these positions won’t be able to be accommodated within the restructured schools.
