Corkeen Chosen as Surface for Elementary School Playground

Report on the Meeting of the Elementary School Building Committee, October 17, 2025

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

After diligent work by Capital Projects Manager Bob Peirent, Amorim, the manufacturer of the cork-based playground surface Corkeen, offered the town a five-year warranty on both the product and the installation, which is similar to that of rubber poured-in-place (PIP). Corkeen had been the preferred material of the School Committee, Conservation Commission, the Board of Health, and Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC). At issue was the newness of the product, a previous problem with an installation in Easton, Massachusetts, and the earlier offer of only a one-year warranty. With the warranty issue satisfied, the ESBC accepted Corkeen as the playground surface.

Peirent corresponded with sites in Norway and Sweden with Corkeen playgrounds and found that there a five-year warranty was standard. With that information, Amorim agreed to match it for the Amherst playground, notifying Peirent shortly before the meeting began. The sole U.S. installer is Cork ’N More, located in Dallas, Texas. Peirent said that previous customers are satisfied with the company’s work, and Cork ‘N More’s estimate for the Amherst project is within the budgeted amount and comparable to poured-in-place rubber. In addition to the product warranty, the company will be required to submit a standard one-year performance and payment bond to guarantee satisfactory completion of the installation.

Amorim indicated that they are in the process of training new installers, but the new companies probably will not be ready in time for the Amherst school installation. Peirent expects the playground surface will be installed in late spring or early summer of 2026. Amorim is currently testing new binders for the product that may make it possible to install it at a wider range of temperatures.

There are monitoring and maintenance requirements as part of the warranty. The most consequential is that a new spray-on sealant must be applied every three to five years. This sealant binds the upper layer of the product, which protects the second layer that offers the fall protection. Because Corkeen is a natural product, it is more susceptible to degradation if not adequately sealed. However, Peirent estimated that the cost of the sealant treatment would be $1,000 to $2,000, so it is not a major cost concern. He added that Corkeen is actually less prone to thermal expansion and thus less subject to damage from temperature change than rubber PIP. 

ESBC members were pleased that their preferred surface was a viable choice and thanked Peirent for his diligence in pursuing the option. In public comment, Toni Cunningham said, “Thank you on behalf of the environment.”

Estimates of Cost for Furniture Over Budget
Owner’s Project Manager Margaret Wood of Accenture said that, even after value engineering,  choosing lower-cost items, and applying some of the contingency funds, the cost of furniture for the new school is estimated to be about $218,000 over budget. The budget was finalized in 2021, and furniture prices have increased greatly since that time. She said that the existing furniture in Fort River and Wildwood schools is “pretty dilapidated” and is not reusable. Some handmade benches will be moved to the new building, but most of the furniture will need to be purchased new. She suggested using some of the $8.5 million in overall contingency funds for the project to make up the difference in cost. 

In order for the furniture  to be delivered in July, 2026, the requests for bids must go out in November and be received in December 2025.. Wood said that the Massachusetts School Building Association has acknowledged the great increase in furniture costs over the past several years and has increased the allowance for furniture in new grants. However, Amherst’s grant is not eligible, since it had already been awarded. Wood further noted that there are rules for disposal of the existing materials from Wildwood and Fort River schools to minimize their ending up in landfills.