AMHERST — Even as some Amherst School Committee members say there are significant community concerns about the creation of a stand-alone school for sixth graders this fall, school leaders are being directed to continue planning for what will be known as the Chestnut Street Academy.
After almost two hours of conversation Tuesday, focusing on an alternative plan to have sixth graders remain at the existing Crocker Farm School and be part of the new Amethyst Brook School rather than moving en masse to a wing of the Amherst Regional Middle School, the committee voted 5-0 to have Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman stay the course with the restructuring work, barring an “insurmountable barrier.”
The extensive discussion was prompted by a presentation by committee member Bridget Hynes titled “Reconsidering the 6th Grade Academy.”
Hynes said she was still having difficulty understanding the necessity of the sixth graders being in their own space after meeting many voters during her campaign last fall. “It felt like every person I spoke to had the question of why we’re doing it, and I didn’t feel like I had great answers for them,” Hynes said.
Hynes said with 956 K-6 students projected for next fall, the two elementary schools would have enough space for them. She said this also marks the last chance to adjust plans before investing money, could create more harmony in the community and possibly help address a projected $2 million shortfall in the fiscal year 2027 budget.
“We’re at a point where we might have to go sixth grade or go home,” Hynes said. “The time is now.”
Hynes outlined reasons it’s important to reconsider the restructuring, including having sixth graders isolated from both elementary and middle school peers, not being able to integrate into a full regional grades 6-8 model and whether the middle school offers a safe learning environment.
But Herman said that continuing to discuss the restructuring, and possibly halting it, is creating fear and difficulties.
“It is an injustice to ask the school administration to shift at this time,” Herman said.
Herman offered apologies to families, staff and community members “feeling a sense of uncertainty, a sense of distrust, a sense of not calm during this time.” “I’m sorry that this conversation may be putting you in this emotional state as well,” Herman said.
She explained Amethyst Brook is not built to accommodate sixth-grade classrooms, and officials would have to ask the state for a change in the approved educational model. She said the functional capacity of those buildings is not the same as the building capacity, and services can be provided more efficiently to sixth graders with Chestnut Street Academy.
Herman said there isn’t enough time to do an alternative approach.
She also disputed that sixth graders will be on an island or isolated. “I don’t think that aligns with the plan that this current administration has been putting forth in terms of how the sixth grade would integrate and work within,” Herman said, pointing to many listening sessions she’s had with students and staff.
Wildwood School Principal Allison Estes, who will be the principal at the new Amethyst Brook, said adding sixth-grade classes would mean having to do specials in classrooms, due to a shortage of space, and increasing the size of classes from 20 to about 24.
“There’s ramifications to this thought,” Estes said.
Having 89 more students in the building would also mean adjusting the schedule for use of the cafeteria.
Crocker Farm Principal Derek Shea, who is retiring, said the school can’t go back to the bigger numbers that existed 10 to 15 years ago. Approaching 500 students, with 381 K-6 students plus 79 preschoolers, would be difficult.
“That’s slightly outrageous, to be perfectly honest with you,” Shea said.
Only 17 classrooms are available there, with two for multilingual learners.
Fort River Principal Tamera Sullivan-Daley, who will be Crocker Farm’s principal, said putting sixth graders in the new school would impact Caminantes, with Amethyst Brook designed to have three classes of non-dual language and two classes that are dual language at each grade level.
“I think we have really incredible people and are doing a lot of this hard work, and have thought about every possible scenario,” Sulivan-Daley said.
School Committee member Sarah Marshall said she doesn’t understand why the restructuring topic was brought up again after being discussed in the fall.
“I do not see how this continued focus on the plan for sixth grade, without any proposed committee action, is the best use of this committee’s time,” Marshall said.
Marshall said the committee should be putting its efforts on getting the budget ready for April 1.
“I’m also very distressed by the lack of confidence from my fellow committee members in principals and the superintendent,” Marshall said. “They know what they’re talking about.”
“I think if we make a change, we’re going to be damaging our students,” Marshall said.
Chairwoman Deb Leonard said decisions that previous committees made are now in the current committee’s court.
“We are on the hot seat, we are holding the bag, and I think it’s important we understand context,” Leonard said.
Leonard said the discussion means more information for the community and wasn’t about not trusting school officials.
“The process that brought us here is fragmented, the information is sparse, the documentation is minimal,” Leonard said.