School Committee Declines to Authorize Repair of Middle School Auditorium Roof

Report on the Meeting of the Regional School Committee, January 13, 2026

This hybrid meeting was held at Amherst Regional High School and recorded.

Regional School Committee (RSC) Chair Sarahbess Kenney told committee members that an Amherst town councilor had approached her about adding the auditorium roof replacement to the remaining roof work scheduled for this summer under a Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) grant. The auditorium roof is one or two years too young to qualify for replacement under the grant but is leaking badly. The councilor noted that adding this work to the scheduled work would be more efficient, since workers and equipment would already be at the site. The councilor suggested that the additional work could be paid for from free cash, so as not to require additional borrowing. Amherst has a $10 million budget surplus for FY2026.

School Finance Director Shannon Bernacchia stated that the estimated cost for the added work was $1.6 million. If allocated according to the cost-sharing formula for the regional schools, this would amount to $1.254 million for Amherst, $90,560 for Pelham, $144,000 for Leverett, and $111,200 for Shutesbury. She said that waiting until the three smaller towns hold their Spring town meetings to approve the additional spending would be too late to sign a contract and order the extra materials. She suggested leaving the auditorium roof as a bid alternate and waiting until the bids for the rest of the roof are received in March.

This proposal met with opposition on several fronts. Representatives of Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury noted that their towns do not have the budget surpluses that Amherst has and are already stretched from approving the borrowing needed to supplement the MSBA grant. Tim Shores (Leverett) said that the only way he would support the measure is for Amherst to pay for the entire repair as a gift to the region.

On the other hand, Bridget Hynes (Amherst) stated, “We are facing a major financial crisis, and if we’re putting in requests for free cash from Amherst, I would ask to choose a project that would help reduce operating costs, such as solar power to reduce energy costs.” She cited a study showing that installing solar canopies in the parking lot would save about $200,000 a year in energy costs.

However, Facilities Supervisor Michael Gallo replied, “It seems like people are viewing the roof repair as a luxury, but we’re going to continue to spend money on repairing the roof until we have a real solution, like a replacement for the roof. So, we’re going to have to keep sinking money into it. The roof is going to continue to leak.”

Anna Heard (Shutesbury) reasoned, “I think leaving just one portion of the roof unreplaced because the MSBA grant doesn’t cover it is a little foolhardy. There will be ongoing, higher maintenance costs to address all the leaks and the problems they cause. If we [fix it] now, we won’t have to do it later, and it’s probably advisable to get it done now so that we can save ourselves money in extra repair costs over the next couple of years or for 10 or 20 years, because it takes that long to get more funding to fix the roof.”

She continued, “My understanding is that Amherst wants to do it, but they also want us to ask the other towns to contribute. I feel like we should ask, but just because we ask doesn’t mean they have to say yes. And then Amherst can make their own decision.” But she didn’t think any of the three towns would call an emergency town meeting to approve extra spending.

The RSC decided not to act on repairing the auditorium roof. Shores noted that the district needed a better capital plan and that he would not advocate for sudden capital spending ideas.

Student Services Director JoAnn Smith Appointed Interim Director of Special Education
After a 90-minute Executive Session, the RSC appointed Student Services Administrator JoAnn Smith as Interim Director of Special Education. The action was required following Doreen Reid’s resignation on January 9.

In a public comment, members of SEPAC, the Special Education Parents Advisory Council, expressed concern that special education was severely understaffed and urged the Superintendent to fill the permanent Director of Student Services position as expeditiously as possible.

SEPAC members stated, “This position is of critical importance to not only our most vulnerable students in the District, but also to the District as a whole. We encourage Dr. Xi and the Committees to begin a search for a new Student Services Director immediately, so that our special education students and staff can maintain consistency and support during many upcoming transitions. As you appoint an Interim Director this evening, please also do all you can to ensure that a search begins for a new Student Services Director immediately. We also request that the search committee include participation from special education teachers, staff, and caregivers during the interview process, as per District policy.”

APEA Decries Delayed Response of School Attorney Regarding Contract Renewal

Amherst Pelham Education Association (APEA) President Chris Herland and members Mangala Jagadeesh and Ruth Killough Hill stated that union members waited an inordinate amount of time for the district’s legal counsel to respond regarding the contract agreed upon in negotiations. Herland said the delay of over two months, when added to the 90 days the district has after ratification before retroactive pay is disbursed, means staff will not see their negotiated raises until near the end of the school year. Jagadeesh told the RSC, “This attorney is standing in your way for working well with staff.”

They urged the district to evaluate Attorney Mark Terry’s performance.