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Amethyst Brook Elementary School Playground with the newly installed Corkeen surface. Photo: amherstma.gov
Report on the Meeting of the Elementary School Building Committee meeting, June 12, 2026i
This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.
The Elementary School Building Committee’s (ESBC) most recent monthly meeting took place on June 12, 2026.
Construction Update
Kseniya Slavsky (Owner’s Project Manager, Accenture) reported that Corkeen, the cork-based, accessible playground surface, has been installed. She notes that this is the largest installation of this product in the country, if not the world. The playground will continue to be fenced off temporarily to keep it free from debris and damage until the school opens in the fall.
Tim Cooper of DiNisco Design reports that all rooftop work, including Photo Voltaic (PV) panels, is complete. Paving for the hard surface parts of the playground is done and site work around the building is progressing. On the interior, the gym floor is ready to be finished and the climbing wall is finished. Marker board installation throughout the building is in process.
Schedule Update
Slavsky reported that the building will be substantially complete by July 31 when a temporary certificate of occupancy will allow the school to open. The temporary status is only because the project will not be complete until phase 2 is done, which consists largely of the parking lot, site/field work, and demolition of the existing building.
A professional mover has been retained and teachers will begin packing their rooms after the current school year ends. The sixth grade move to the middle school will happen during the week of July 20. Furniture will be delivered by August 7, and the move of elementary school materials from Fort River and Wildwood schools into Amethyst Brook Elementary School will begin starting on August 10. Teachers will return on August 17, with classes starting August 24.
Slavsky notified the committee of one “schedule risk” in the form of the elevators. They were due to be delivered one month ago but only arrived on site this past week. The contractors that will be installing them have agreed in writing to accelerate their work so that it will be completed well ahead of the furniture delivery (which will require operational elevators). She assured the committee that they are monitoring the situation closely and do not anticipate any impact on the planned schedule.
Eversource May Cause Delay in Photovoltaic (PV) Readiness
While the PV arrays are already installed, Cooper explained that Eversource must approve the application to “interconnect” the panels to the grid. Although the application was submitted in January 2026 and the design and plans have long been established, Eversource has not yet granted approval pending technical reviews and has requested that they be granted remote access to turn off the system as late as May 2026. While he was concerned that it is possible, and even likely, that PV will not be providing electricity to the building at the time of occupancy, he did say that the school would still be operational, albeit not generating its own electricity.
Town Finance Director Sean Mangano inquired whether that means that the town would need to pay for electricity until Eversource granted approval and what the approximate cost would be. Cooper was unable to provide a figure as there are many unknowns at this time. Town Manager Paul Bockelman wondered whether town or state legislators might be able to help resolve the issue more quickly. School Facilities Director Michael Gallo-O’Connell questioned whether a delay would jeopardize incentives that are based on net zero performance, but Cooper indicated that only a relatively small proportion of the Eversource incentive would be affected. ESBC member Bruce Coldham proposed that the project contingency might be used to cover any electrical expenses.
Principal Alison Estes Elected to Serve on Percent for Art Advisory Board
Bruce Coldham initially volunteered to serve as the ESBC representative on the board that will select an artist for the Percent for Art project that will be installed at the school. However, he withdrew his name after Estes expressed interest in serving in this role. The committee unanimously voted to recommend her to Bockelman for final approval.
Invoices
All invoices (approximate amounts listed below) were approved unanimously. Billing for the project is approximately 83% complete. Much of the remaining anticipated costs will be for abatement, demolition, and release of retainage (~5% of completed work held to incentivize timely and satisfactory completion of work by contractors).
Anser Advisory (OPM) $ 59,457
DiNisco Design (Architects) $ 66,364
CTA Construction (GC) $ 2,978,832
Allied Testing* $ 8,272
ProAv Systems (A/V) $ 85,458
TOTAL for June 2026 $ 3,198,383
*Coldham observed that only 39% of the testing budget has been billed with the building very nearly complete. Slavsky explained that much of the remaining approximately $288,000 would likely be realized as savings.
Upcoming Events
The next site tour for ESBC members will be on June 30. School staff have been touring the building every other week and are expected to continue to do so. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be planned. The committee will meet again on July 17.
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