AMHERST — Three incumbents are returning to the Amherst School Committee, along with a former member and a challenger who narrowly lost in her first bid four years ago.
At Tuesday’s biennial election, Benjamin Herrington of Southpoint Drive, with 2,877 votes, maintained his seat, as did Peter Demling of Atwood Circle, with 2,465 votes, and Allison McDonald of Hop Brook Road, with 2,308 votes, based on unofficial results provided by the town clerk’s office.
Returning to the school panel after a nine-year absence is Irv Rhodes of Pondview Drive, who collected 2,259 votes. Rhodes previously served on the School Committee from 2009 to 2012.
“Much work lies ahead, but I am honored to be working with the other members of the committee and I look forward to a productive term of office,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes, who added that he is thrilled and excited to be back on the committee, thanked his supporters for their encouragement and votes.
The other newcomer is Jennifer Page of Potwine Lane, who earned 2,336 votes. Page, associate director for strategic communications for the Center for Data Science at the University of Massachusetts, was defeated by just 57 votes in race against Demling in 2017.
Page said she is ready to help in recovering from the pandemic, embarking on a new elementary school building project, and focusing on issues of racial and class equity, and is grateful voters for putting their faith in her.
“I look forward to earning their trust as a School Committee member through genuine two-way engagement,” Page said.
Those not elected were incumbent Heather Lord of Riverglade Drive, who was appointed to the committee in 2020, receiving 1,941 votes, and Phoebe Merriam of Western Lane, with 1,875 votes.
Lord will continue to serve on the African Heritage Reparation Assembly, a town committee studying and developing reparation proposals, and Merriam will continue to serve on the Elementary School Building Committee that aims to get a new elementary school constructed.
