Bee Editorial
Aged buildings in need of upgrades
Amherst Central High School, the oldest public school building still in use in the town, would benefit greatly from the district's proposed capital project.

District officials announced last week that the $16.5 million project is being considered as a separate item on the May ballot.

Earmarked to receive $5.6 million of the $16.5 million, the high school would be bettered with an upgraded auditorium and a new roof.

The high school was built more than 75 years ago but remains sound. Any building that old requires repairs and modernization if it is to remain in constant use. Also, the middle school would receive a $2.4 million kitchen and cafeteria, and Smallwood Elementary would gain an auditorium upgrade.

All the buildings face a lot of wear and tear, playing host to a variety of events throughout the school year.

When the district is asking for residents' support for a new roof, programming upgrades and parking accommodations we hope they would respond by voting yes to the capital project in May.

The Amherst Central district faced difficult choices two years ago but wisely closed the old Eggert Road and Harlem Road elementary schools. Repairs to those buildings, in light of declining enrollment, would have been wasteful. The right decisions were made, and both former schools survive with alternative uses that still benefit the community.

This is not the case in the Amherst District's four buildings. The compact territory it serves benefits from two elementary schools close to Main Street and the two higher level buildings being within sight of each other. Transportation is efficiently handled throughout the school year.

The destinations themselves are now the items that need attention.

The capital improvement plan was actually set in motion more than two years ago. School Board members, district administrators, the district's architect and a bond adviser have met regularly to hone the project into one that we believe can be embraced by the community.

The proposed tax levy hike of just 1 percent would be made possible by wisely applying a retiring bond to the financial plan.

From the early morning hours to late into the evening the schools are open for students to take part in music programs, athletics and academic clubs. By maintaining up-to-date, enhanced school buildings, the district would avoid extensive repairs and emergency measures in the overall system. It is time to take that step in the Amherst Central district.