Strengthening schools remains priority for voters

By WILL MCGUINNESS AND SIMON ARMATA Bulletin Contributing Writers

Published on April 04, 2008

Improving schools without breaking the bank - that was a goal shared by some the voters who cast ballots Tuesday.

Interviews at the polls revealed that while Amherst voters hold differing views on many important issues, many agreed they looked for candidates willing and able to strengthen the education system.

Virginia Kilmer, 72, of Sheerman Lane, praised the wide field of candidates. Voters decided races for Select Board, School Committee, Amherst Redevelopment Authority, town moderator and library trustees.

"I thought the election season was very interesting," Kilmer said. "There were a lot of people participating, and that's good especially in the Select Board race. They are good, quality candidates."

Sonya Bergquist of Amherst talks about her election choices.

Katie McDermott, 39, of East Pleasant Street, added, "It's more exciting but also more confusing when it comes to casting a ballot and the strategy of five people running for two seats."

She said she saw differences among Select Board candidates.

"There are categories of candidates," McDermott said. "There are two who people don't know much about, two who are similar and the incumbent," who she says is hard to compare to the others.

"The real issue is that if you're interested, you pay attention; and if you're not interested, then you don't," she said.

Barbara Goldstein, 67, of Sheerman Lane, said she focused her decisions in the voting booth on "people who had ideas on how we could fund our budget."

She said that while several of the candidates had ideas to bring in new business, economic development is hard to spur.

Goldstein's husband, Joseph Goldstein, 69, agreed, saying the town "has to use the universities and get people to come in."

Catherine Ciepiela of Amherst comments on the town elcction Tuesday. You can see more reaction from Amherst voters at GazetteNET and the Bulletin's YouTube channel.

It was an idea many Amherst residents broached, admittedly not for the first time.

"I think part of it is problems with the state," Barbara Goldstein said. "But it's an admirable idea if they can do it."

Tapping UMass

Part of getting the ball rolling, said Ann Pfluger, 75, who was interviewed at the Fort River School in Precinct 6, is having the University of Massachusetts contribute in more ways than through its students' bar tabs.

"Purchasers go right into Hadley," Pfluger said. "The other two schools don't do what they could to help here," a reference to Amherst and Hampshire colleges.

She said she'd hate to see Amherst change completely, but Hadley's ability to develop and woo business while preserving recreational areas is admirable.

Judith Todd, 57, of Blackberry Lane, also stressed what she sees as the importance of boosting revenue to the town.

Thomas MacMahon, 49, of Fearing Street, said stabilizing the town's tax base is the most pressing priority. He feels it should not be done on the shoulders of homeowners.

But McDermott, the East Pleasant Street voter, said she disagreed in part, adding, "I'd love to get rid of Proposition 21/2," a reference to the state law limiting the amount of money the town can levy through taxation. While not referring to property taxes specifically, she said that because inflation increases at a rate higher than that of the cap, the town is getting less revenue each go-around.

"You're cutting every year unless you can get an override, and people don't seem interested in doing that," McDermott said.

Sean Burke, 62, of Henry Street, questioned the use of resources in the schools. "We need to look at the misspending and the glut that's going on. I think they're too many chiefs and not enough Indians in the school department."

He suggested that a more streamlined, more efficient school administration is needed. "We have fewer kids in the schools now than we did 10 years ago, and we've got fewer teachers but more administrators," Burke said.

But Pfluger said one thing is sure: Students from elementary schools to high school to special needs programs need a helping hand. This motivated her to vote for someone who, she said, "has a background in the field, is well-educated and has children in the system."

David Hixon, of Kingman Road, is the parent of children aged 15 and a 13. He views curriculum as important and rues that students have math classes for only six months out of the year.

"Math is how you get into college," Hixon said. "I went to Amherst College and I know how important SATs are."

He said he believes a core curriculum should be more focused on math, reading and the things that students are judged upon to get into college. He supported fellow Amherst College professor Catherine Sanderson for the School Committee, calling her a candidate who "gets it" when it comes to what students need.

Sanderson was elected Tuesday to a seat on the committee.