AMHERST — Even though a proposed $67 million project to co-locate two new elementary schools has caused a split among residents, the four candidates running for School Committee are pledging to bring the town together, whatever the result of the March 28 referendum.
But the six residents seeking three seats as trustees for the Jones Library are deeply divided on the need to expand and renovate that building.
At a League of Women Voters forum Thursday in advance of the March 28 town election, Peter Demling and Jennifer Page discussed the plan to build two Grade 2-6 schools to replace Wildwood and Fort River schools, and turn Crocker Farm School into an early childhood education center. The two are running for a three-year seat on the School Committee being vacated by incumbent Katherine Appy.
Page said she is in favor of K-6 schools, but will fully support the outcome of the referendum.
“With the new proposed plan, I worry about the transition of children between first and second grades,” Page said.
Page said schools are a place for all families and children to feel welcome, and she hopes to address issues of equity, racism and unfair treatment of any child.
“My goal is to be a bridge among people on all sides of an issue,” Page said.
Demling said he has been a strong supporter of the school project, which he said addresses “a clear and urgent” need to replace obsolete buildings, and is financially sustainable and educationally sound.
“I feel like as a School Committee member I need to be a responsible financial steward of the budget,” Demling said.
Demling added that his volunteer work has included advocacy for education of students of all abilities and backgrounds.
In another School Committee race, incumbent Eric Nakajima and challenger Robert Greeney are seeking the two-year seat.
Nakajima said he supports the building project as a terrific opportunity to solve problems with Wildwood and Fort River.
“I know the schools need to be replaced,” Nakajima said.
Since he was elected in October, Nakajima said he has worked to build a more collaborative environment for committee members, but has focused also on the excellence of schools and teachers, and the dedication of parents and students.
Greeney said he voted both for and against the project, noting that he likes smaller schools and a K-6 model
“On the other hand this does fix two buildings now, and I totally, totally appreciate why people are in favor of it,” Greeney said.
Greeney said he is ready to serve whether the school project is approved or not. “I am prepared to move ahead with optimism in either case,” Greeney said.
For those seeking seats on the library board trustees, the differences between the three incumbents and three challengers are stark.
Incumbent Christopher Hoffmann said he supports moving forward with the Jones Library expansion and having the architect flesh out details of what the expansion will look like.
“I am very excited about the proposed renovation,” Hoffmann said.
The English as a Second Language program and space for teenagers are two things at risk should the library be confined to the current building.
“I think we really need something, not just in terms of programs, but in terms of space,” Hoffmann said.
Alex Lefebvre said during outreach to the public she has learned that the town’s demographics are changing and the library must serve all populations.
Renovation and expansion will fill gaps, meeting needs of teenagers with dedicated space for the next generation, as well as senior citizens and the disabled, she said.
“The whole point of a public library is it’s a great equalizer,” Lefebvre said.
Lefebvre said she looks forward to the design and grant process, observing that there will be higher costs if the library continues to fall into disrepair.
Lee Edwards said the library should be a hub of the community, and that she is a great believer in the proposed renovation and expansion so it can continue to offer books and print materials and coordinate literacy efforts.
“It will make the library truly accessible to all members of the actual community who live here now,” Edwards said.
If the plan is scrapped, many opportunities will be lost, including compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which will necessitate reducing the collection by widening the stacks.
Challengers are uniformly opposed to the project.
Kitty Axelson-Berry said people don’t want the building to change “and they love it because it’s cozy.”
She said the library doesn’t have to be gutted to be made handicapped-accessible, or to provide computers for those who don’t have them at home.
Underused rooms that are cluttered or closed to the public could provide extra space. “All of these locked rooms need to be brought back,” Axelson-Berry said.
Terry Johnson said the Jones should expand programs beyond buildings, doing outreach in the community rather than creating a larger building.
“The project will demolish the entire 1993 addition and there will be no additional staff or materials, and no additional parking,” Johnson said.
Services at the library will be important for learning and entertainment, as well as life support, but there can be creative ways to maintain these without an expansion, Johnson said.
Edwin Wilfert said the current trustees are betraying the trust of the original founders by demolishing the 1990s addition and ruining the home-like feeling in the historic 1928 building.
“The current plan looks like a setback for Amherst’s cultural district,” Wilfert said.
For Select Board candidates, with incumbents Constance Kruger and Andrew Steinberg facing a challenge from Greeney, a topic addressed is how to approach economic development.
“I feel that we’re growing and it’s our decision about how we want to do that,” Kruger said.
“One of the things I am very committed to is the financial stability of the town,” Steinberg said.
“Amherst needs a collectively fashioned and agreed-upon master plan,” Greeney said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
