Amherst to Celebrate Completion of New Elementary School Building with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

WHAT: The Town of Amherst and the Amherst-Pelham Regional Public School District are hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Amethyst Brook Elementary School building on Monday, October 26 at 3:30 p.m. 

All are welcome and encouraged to attend this special celebration. The event will include remarks from Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, town officials, and community leaders as well as tours of the new building. 

Please RSVP by October 12: amherstma.gov/school-ribbon-cutting

The new Amethyst Brook Elementary School consolidates the former Wildwood and Fort River Elementary Schools into a single state-of-the-art facility located on the Fort River site. Designed to serve students from kindergarten through fifth grade, the school features a three-story layout with a capacity of 575 students and five classrooms per grade level. This is the Town’s first net zero energy public building, utilizing ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels to provide 100% of its energy needs. 

The new school site also includes space for outdoor learning and play, featuring innovative and accessible playground equipment. The project aims to enhance community amenities by restoring existing playing fields, providing basketball courts, developing trails, rain gardens, and more — ensuring recreational opportunities for residents of all ages. Additionally, the school’s design will facilitate after-hours use, including a “cafetorium” with stage performance space, a library, a gym, and music/activity rooms. 

The total project budget is $99.2 million, which is supported by multiple funding sources. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has committed up to $49 million through their core building replacement program. Eversource incentives for energy efficiency measures and ground source heat pumps will provide approximately $1.5 million. Community Preservation Act funds will contribute $700,000 toward the playing fields, and the Town Council appropriated $5 million of reserves to reduce the impact of the debt exclusion on taxpayers. Remaining project costs will be paid by the Town with voters having overwhelmingly approved municipal funding for the project through a debt exclusion vote in 2023. 

WHO: The program will include:

• Deborah B. Goldberg, Massachusetts State Treasurer
• Paul Bockelman, Amherst Town Manager
• State Senator Jo Comerford
• State Representative Mindy Domb
• Cathy Schoen, Town Councilor and Chair of the Elementary School Building Committee
• Deb Leonard, Chair of the Amherst School Committee
• Allison Estes, Principal of Amethyst Brook Elementary School
• Dr. Xiomara Herman, Superintendent of Amherst-Pelham Regional Public Schools
• Tours of the new building

WHEN: Monday, October 26 at 3:30 pm

WHERE: Amethyst Brook Elementary School (70 S East St, Amherst, MA 01002)  

Parking is available onsite and across the street at the Old East Street School parking lot.