The Amherst elementary school project was finally put to rest after five months of contentious votes when a referendum seeking to overturn Town Meeting action failed to win approval in a townwide vote Tuesday.
Now it is time for reconciliation by supporters and opponents of the failed plan to build two co-located schools to replace the 40-year-old Fort River and Wildwood elementary schools. Though a majority of voters supported that $66.37 million plan, it was defeated when representative Town Meeting twice failed to authorize borrowing for the project. Though Tuesday’s referendum received 2,750 votes in favor, with 2,150 opposed, it failed to reach the thresholds needed to overturn Town Meeting: a two-thirds majority and at least 2,983 “yes” votes.
The Amherst School Committee now must decide how much money to spend on immediate repairs for the two schools (Fort River needs a new roof, and Wildwood’s boiler must be replaced), and then examine options including more extensive renovations to those buildings or another plan to replace them. Based on the nine years of study that preceded the votes on the failed project, that will be a lengthy process and one that we hope results in a plan that does not divide the town.
The two candidates for the School Committee seat vacated by Katherine Appy set a positive tone with their comments on election night about moving forward. Peter Demling, who won 2,171-2,105, said he was impressed with the passion for education expressed by parents on both sides of the school project. “To me, the theme of the night was civic engagement. The turnout was tremendous,” he said.
Page pledged to stay involved in school issues and work at bringing the community together on a school project that can win widespread support.
Demling and Page both ran impressive campaigns, and we hope they keep their supporters engaged in the critical task of improving educational opportunities for all elementary school students in Amherst.