AMHERST — Nearly 600 voters have already cast ballots on a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion for a $97.5 million, three-story elementary school, either by mail or through the absentee voting process.

More voters are expected to head to the polls in the coming week leading up to the May 2 vote, as early in-person voting begins at Town Hall Monday.

As of Friday, there has been interest in the project that calls for construction of a 575 K-5 school to be built on the Fort River School site on South East Street. Town Clerk Sue Audette said 1,704 mail-in ballots had been requested, or about 12.5% of the 13,551 registered voters, with about one-third of those already returned. An additional 19 people have voted absentee in person at Town Hall, and two have voted absentee by mail.

Registered voters can also drop by Town Hall through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to vote on the project. Then, on May 2, election day, those who want to participate will have to go to their polling locations, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Those sites are North Zion Korean Church, 1193 North Pleasant St., for Precinct 1A; Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St., for Precinct 1B; the high school for Precincts 2A, 3A, 4A and 4B; Fort River School for Precinct 2B; Crocker Farm School for Precinct 3B; Bangs Community Center for Precinct 5A;and Munson Memorial Library for Precinct 5B.

Aspects of the project, which when complete would replace both 1970s-era Wildwood and Fort River schools, include five classrooms for each of the six grades in a net-zero building that will use ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels to supply 100% of its energy. Once complete, the site will include space for outdoor learning and play.

The Town Council and School Committee have both given overwhelming support for the plans. Unlike the failed twin school project for the Wildwood site that in 2017 wasn’t able to get two-thirds support at Town Meeting, even after being approved by voters in 2016, there has been no organized opposition. At that time, a group called Save Amherst’s Small Schools led the criticism of a project that would have required younger children to remain at the town’s third elementary school, Crocker Farm, with the upper grade students going to the new school. This time, only sixth graders will be affected, moving to the Amherst Regional Middle School, likely in fall 2026 when the new school would open.

Taxpayers are currently projected to pick up about $55 million of the cost, with the Massachusetts School Building Authority contributing $40.5 million. Town officials are strategizing ways to cut the town’s costs further, including directing $5 million from the capital stabilization fund and developing a plan for other sources of money.

Still, there has been concern about whether some may vote against the project due to the tax burden.

The town is estimating property taxes rising by $1.01 per $1,000 of assessed property value. It is estimated that the annual impact of the debt exclusion for an average single family residence in Amherst, valued at $446,953, is $451, based on current property assessments.

An online tool shows the burden will be less for smaller homes. For a $200,000 home, it will be $202 per year, and a $250,000 home, $253 per year. A debt exclusion page on the town website, at https://www.amherstma.gov/3706/Debt-Exclusion-2023, allows residents to enter their address and find out what the tax increase will look like.

The impact on rents is hard to know, potentially depending on whether property owners passes the tax increase on to tenants.

Supporters have noted that the costs of renovating would likely be greater, with renovating each existing school at around $40 million. In this scenario, operating costs would also be higher, they argue.

District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen made this point explicit in a conversation with the Amherst Neighbors group, one of a number of public sessions she has participated in as chairwoman of the Elementary School Building Committee.

“The schools are in really bad shape, and we would have to start to pour millions into repairs at Fort River and Wildwood,” Schoen said, noting that the roofs leak, there are electrical problems and concerns remain about lack of light and significant noise.

Not doing this project also might crowd out road and sidewalk repairs from the capital budget, and the town would lose an incentive provided by Eversource for a green building, including $1.6 million in utility rebates and federal tax credits, and $700,000 from the Community Preservation Act for the community fields.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman said that a plan for future building projects, including the renovated Jones Library and new Department of Public Works headquarters and a South Amherst fire station, depend on successful passage of the override.

With the second bite at the apple by getting back into the state process of funding a school project, Council President Lynn Griesemer told the Amherst Neighbors this time can’t be another failure. “Our reputation in the state is already one of divisiveness,” Griesemer said.

“A lot rides on May 2 being yes,” Schoen said.

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