School Building Committee Prefers Corkeen but Makes No Decision on Playground Surface

Report on the Meeting of the Elementary School Building Committee, September 12, 2025

By Maura Keene

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present
Cathy Schoen (Chair), Ellisha Walker, Deb Leonard, Angelica Bernal, Tamera Sullivan Daley, Allison Estes, Jonathan Salvon, Jennifer LaFountain, Simone Cristofori, Paul Bockelman, and Michael Gallo O’Connell. Absent: Bruce Coldham, E. Xiomara Herman.

Playground Surfacing Remains Unresolved
Bob Peirent, Amherst Special Capital Projects Manager, is acting as project manager for the playground surface. He reported that he has spoken with two companies that have experience installing Corkeen, the cork poured in place product that the committee had voted to use, but which Peirent had brought back to the committee to discuss last month because of a problematic installation in Easton, Massachusetts. The pricing for both potential installers was within the budget allocated. One installer is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the other is in Dallas, Texas. 

Initial discussions suggested that the Milwaukee company had a longer warranty for the installation. The product warranty is through the manufacturer and is the same regardless of contractor. School Facilities Director Michael Gallo O’Connell asked about the number of installations that the company with the longer warranty had done. Peirent did not have that information. Amherst School Committee representative Deb Leonard reported that she had spoken with that company and was willing to reach back out to get more information. 

Town Councilor Ellisha Walker asked about the status of the Easton repairs. Peirent reported that although it took some time to figure out, “Everyone is optimistic” he said.“They are hopeful that it will correct the problem”. Community representative Angelica Bernal asked for clarification about whether the choice is between Corkeen and Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF), or if other surfaces are still being considered. Chair, and Town Councilor Cathy Schoen indicated that EWF might be a temporary solution at first. She suggested that, because EWF is considerably less expensive, funding might be able to be put aside to possibly install Corkeen at a future date, after it has had more time in the U.S. market. Town Manager Paul Bockelman said that he would investigate this possibility, but would recommend a contract that included a bond, so that if problems arose with an installation the funding would be available without having to go to court. Community representative Jonathan Salvon supported that course of action and expressed hesitancy about EWF as a less accessible option. Wildwood Principal Allison Estes agreed and indicated that she was leaning toward Corkeen as more accessible than EWF and better for the environment than other options. 

Corkeen and EWF were the two surfaces recommended by the Conservation Commission, because of the proximity of the site to the Fort River and the possibility that chemicals from a rubber surface might leach into the river. If another surface were chosen, the building committee would have to go back to the Conservation Committee for approval. The Board of Health also reiterated its prior recommendation to avoid poured-in-place rubber (rubber PIP) for the playground surface.

Further information will be gathered on the experience of the two companies and how their installations of Corkeen have held up, especially in colder climates. The committee will discuss the issue again at its next meeting on October 15.

Furniture Prices Rise
Margaret Wood from Owner’s Project Manager Accenture reported that, while the technology purchasers are within budget, prices for furniture have risen. Meetings are planned with school staff and the DiNisco Design team to develop strategies to address these increases. A more detailed update will be provided in October after which the procurement process needs to proceed in order to have the furniture in place for the school opening in September 2026. 

Construction Proceeding Without Incident
Tim Cooper from DiNisco Design reported walls, windows, and exterior brick are all almost finished. Geothermal wells are fully installed and are now being connected to the building. Plumbing and electrical work is in progress. The next site visit for committee members is later this month. 

Ksenyia Slavsky from Accenture explained that electrical work is being prioritized for two reasons: 1) they want power on site so that mechanical equipment can be brought on line and tested and 2) electrical work needs to be completed before they can bring the transformer on site. She also noted that this required some of the funding added to the general contractor agreement to accelerate work because of the initial delay while a bid protest was resolved.

Invoices totaled $8.3 million last month, a larger figure than previous months because of the need to prepurchase some electrical gear and the fact that many more trades are actively working on site.

Public Comment
Ellen Jedrey Guidera, an Amherst parent, encouraged the committee to stick with Corkeen for the playground and respect the decisions of the Board of Health and Conservation Commission. Maria Kopicki agreed, reminding the committee that the heat issues and chemical exposures associated with rubber PIP make it not fully accessible. She asked Schoen to share with the rest of the committee the photos she sent showing crumb rubber pieces on the surface of the playgrounds at Kendrick and Groff parks. 

The next meeting will be on October 15 on Zoom.