Amethyst Brook Elementary School Nears Completion

Report on the Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) Meeting, July 17, 2026

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

The Elementary School Building Committee’s (ESBC) most recent monthly meeting took place on July 17, 2026.  

Construction Update
Tim Cooper of DiNisco Design reports that plantings are going in, paving is done, and the pollinator garden and outdoor basketball courts are being completed. Demolition of the existing building will commence in August or September. Inside the new building, the elevators have been installed and are being tested and the furniture has arrived.

The air-tightness test has been done and the building’s shell passed by a wide margin with a value of 0.09 (the stretch code target is 0.35). 

ESBC member Angelica Bernal asked if there was an update on the reflection rooms. ESBC and Amherst School Committee member Deb Leonard reported that doors have been removed from all elementary school reflection rooms. There was no information offered on their status in the new school building.

Amherst Capital Projects Manager Bob Peirent reports that he has been in contact with Eversource weekly and is confident that they will be able to complete their work by mid-August. ESBC member and Amherst Finance Director Sean Mangano reports that MassSave estimates that about $1 million will be coming back to the town for the photovoltaic and geothermal installations. Additional efficiency-based rebates and investment tax credits are also expected after the project is completed.

Commemorative Plaque 
ESBC Chair Cathy Schoen asked how much detail should be included in the commemorative plaque that will be installed. Because of the large number of names of building and school committee members plus Town Council members, she suggested that the sign simply note something along the lines of “designed by-, built by-, and supported by the people of Amherst”. Leonard and ESBC member Bruce Coldham agreed. A draft design of the plaque will be presented in upcoming months and a final decision made then. 

Invoices
All invoices (approximate amounts listed below) were approved unanimously. Billing for the project is approximately 87% complete. 

Anser Advisory (OPM) $      61,973   

DiNisco Design (Architects) $      65,000   

CTA Construction (GC) $  3,391,211

Eversource $    252,620

Allied Testing* $        8,033

Milton CAT (emergency generator) $      23,318

Omasta Landscaping (Corkeen) $    326,698

BVH (air tightness testing) $        8,820                

ProAv Systems (A/V) $      28,384

Sertex $        9,113

TOTAL for July 2026 $ 3,925,551

Upcoming Events
The next site tour for ESBC members will be on . A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on October 26. The committee will meet again on August 14.