AMHERST — Mold and mildew that may be developing at the Amherst Regional Middle School, possibly related to the poor condition of the roof that could be fixed as part of the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s accelerated repair program, will be examined by school district officials.

With Deb Leonard, an Amherst representative to the Regional School Committee, proposing at a Friday meeting that $600,000 be added to the district’s $485,000 capital plan so mold remediation can begin, Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman instead suggested that officials figure out what is happening so a plan can be put together with accurate cost estimates.

“I do agree that we need to assess the building to determine what is the air quality,” Herman said.

The leaking roof, Herman said, may be contributing to the problem, but specific areas of the building will need to be tested before a clear facilities plan can be presented.

“I know right know with the issue we have with the roof leaks, I’m sure there are additional things brewing that we may need to get ahead of,” Herman said.

While Leonard withdrew her request for the addition to the capital plan, she expressed frustration at what is happening in the building attended by seventh and eighth graders from Amherst, Leverett, Shutesbury and Pelham.

“I’m not willing to wait another year,” Leonard said. “There’s kids in there who get headaches, there’s kids in there with asthma, there’s visible mold.”

Leonard added that public health guidance states if there is visible mold, that’s a health hazard.

The topic was brought to Town Manager Paul Bockelman during a Cuppa Joe gathering at the Futura Coffee Roasters in the Mill District on Friday, when a parent told him the mold is “alarming” and questioned whether the air quality in the building might be compromised.

Shutesbury representative Anna Heard agreed that mold and mildew remediation can’t be delayed because it’s endangering the health of those in the building.

“It’s not safe and continued exposure to these kinds of fumes is a health hazard, and I think it needs to be addressed before the roof is replaced,” Heard said.

Amherst representative Irv Rhodes wondered about the level of concern. “How serious of an issue is mold at the middle school?” Rhodes said.

“It’s a serious enough issue that there’s a wing that is closed off,” Herman said, explaining that the worst areas aren’t accessible to students and staff.

Herman said music teachers have also lost access to a music library room.

“My concern is if I were a parent, I would be really concerned in terms of the mold in the school building, and if that was an imminent threat to my child’s health,” Rhodes said.

But Herman said safety is being promoted by keeping the worst areas shuttered.

While not amending the capital debt schedule, Leonard and Amherst representative Bridget Hynes voted in the minority in opposing the capital plan.

The 7-2 vote supported projects including $150,000 for a high school auditorium curtain and rigs, $100,000 fire safety and system upgrades at the middle school, and $50,000 for the middle school auditorium curtain, with other money for paving of parking lots at both buildings and various improvements.

Hynes said she would like to see a capital plan that reduces the operating budget and makes it more sustainable, and won’t vote for a capital plan that doesn’t do that.

She also wondered why investments were being made in the middle school auditorium before the roof is fixed. “I’m not sure why we’re going to hang new curtains under a leaking roof,” Hynes said.

Leverett representative Tilman Wolf said he has reservations about some of the spending, if consolidating the schools into the high school building is being considered.

“In light of the discussion around potentially combining middle school and high school in a single building, does it make sense at this point to invest in middle school projects?” Wolf said.

“Yes, because the middle school building is still functioning,” Herman said.

Maintaining the middle school is necessary for potential reuse and reprogramming it in the future.

Interim Finance Director Shannon Bernacchia said she is working with the MSBA on the design portion of the roof project and making sure the building is suitable for learning, because bringing grades 7-8 into the high school may not happen.

“I can’t say that at this point we’re really committed to conjoining those two buildings. so there very well could still be a middle school here in 10 years,” Bernacchia said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.