AMHERST — A process is underway for redistricting the geographical areas of Amherst from which the elementary schools draw their students, a move necessary before two schools close and a new school opens in fall 2026.
With concern about possible disruptions that can occur for students if they are separated from their current learning communities, Tim Ammon of the Ammon Consulting Group told the Amherst School Committee at its Sept. 16 meeting that the plans being developed seek to minimize this by having most students either stay in their current school, if possible, or move together to the new school.
“If we have to move students, we’re trying to move them in neighborhood clusters or in some reasonable cluster of students that uses natural boundaries, to the greatest extent possible, that we can,” Ammon said.
Ammon explained that the enrollment projections and boundary analysis was done using tradeoffs that include class sizes, school equity, transportation efficiency, minimizing moves and maintaining neighborhoods.
Both Wildwood and Fort River schools will close after this school year and a new 575, K-5 school will open next to Fort River, while Crocker Farm will be able to accommodate 300, K-5 students.
Ammon explained that the study looked at the capacity of schools, identified where students are currently and the existing boundaries, and understood any change in a boundary has influence on enrollment and school capacity.
There is also an understanding that a school can’t be filled to the maximum, needing to leave flexibility at both schools and the number of students in each classroom.
Under the initial draft maps, 10 students who live in an area bounded by South East Street, Valley View Circle and Valley View Drive and currently attend Fort River, would be relocated to Crocker Farm next fall. Half of these students, though, are fifth graders, meaning they will instead be transitioning to the new 6th Grade Academy at the Amherst Regional Middle School.
Another 39 students who live in neighborhoods along Northampton Road and College Street, who currently attend Crocker Farm, would be relocated to the new school. Nine of these are fifth graders who be at the 6th Grade Academy.
Chairwoman Jennifer Shaio said she is glad to see the plan reduces disruptions and transitions and supported the idea of allowing students already in schools to be “grandfathered” or “grandmothered” to remaining, and applying this to those students’ siblings as well.
Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman said her office will be able to make administrative decisions as the study is refined in response to concerns from the committee and families.
Committee member Irv Rhodes said the study needs to keep in mind that these are children being affected.
“These are our kids, and we need to understand the impact on them and their communities,” Rhodes said. “Kids who used to get on the bus together will not be getting on the bus together. That’s incredibly important to understand.”
Committee member Bridget Hynes said she worries about too many transitions for some children, with some students being in three schools over a three-year period.
Herman said the plan will strive for socioeconomic balance and that neither school runs out of space, though she noted that the district may need to eventually find new space for the early childhood center at Crocker Farm.
“We want to make sure that we are looking at the full implications, not just next year or the year after, but as they transition, what is that impact going to be?” Herman said.
While there will be many opportunities in the weeks ahead to offer input on the plan, some parents began providing comments this week.
Vanessa Gordon, a parent of a fourth grader at Crocker Farm, asked why the redistricting would swap some students, like her child, into the new school instead of being able to stay there.
Gordon said the priority should be on a continuity of learning community, while still balancing demographics and other factors.
“I believe that as much as possible it should be a priority for kids to finish elementary school in the learning community in which they started, particularly for kids who only have a year or two left of elementary school,” Gordon said.
In a similar vein, Ethan Todras-Whitehill, a parent of two Crocker Farm students, recalls the difficult transition his daughter had to the new school after the family moved from Shutesbury.
“With the proposals on the table, you’re asking dozens of families and kids around town to go through that same experience,” Todras-Whitehill said.
