Contentious School Committee Meeting Ends Without Reprimand Of Shiao

Report On The Meeting Of The Amherst Regional School Committee, November 29, 2022

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.  The recording can be viewed here.

Present
Amherst members: Ben Herrington, Chair, Allison McDonald, Jennifer Shiao, Peter Demling, Irv Rhodes. Pelham members: Sarabess Kenney and Margaret Stancer. Leverett member: Craig Cohen. Shutesbury member: Steve Sullivan. Irv Rhodes left early.

The front page headline of the November 29 issue of the  Daily Hampshire Gazette read,  “School board member faces reprimand” after fellow Regional School Committee (RSC) member Peter Demling called out Jennifer Shiao on Facebook for questioning the committee’s decision last March to use artificial turf in the redesign of the high school’s track and field. Shiao contended in the Indy and in public comment at the November 21 Town Council meeting that her vote supporting the project on March 15, 2022 was made before she learned about risks of artificial turf to athletes’ health and the environment. In response to her expression of concern about artificial turf and the committee’s previous decision, Demling proposed a motion to “remind members of their responsibilities” to support RSC decisions. However, the majority of the RSC did not support his motion by a 3-4-1 vote.

There were 39 members of the public in the audience for this Zoom meeting. Most who commented at the beginning of the meeting spoke in support of Shiao. Russ Vernon-Jones said it was appropriate to question the safety of artificial turf. Becky Michaels and Allegra Clark encouraged the committee to stop wasting time trying to silence Shiao and instead move forward with their business. Others supporting Shiao and her concerns were Art and Maura Keene, Michael Burkart, Amber Cano Martin, Joanna Morse, Lissa Pierce Bonifaz, Pat Ononobaku, Jean Fay, Dee Shabazz, Toni Cunningham, Kathleen Traphagen, and Maria Kopicki. Those who spoke in favor of  replacing the grass with artificial turf did not specifically address Demling’s charges against Shiao. They  included Suzanne Schilling, Kerry Crosby, Andrew MacDougall, Stephanie Hockman, Mary Klaes, Kristin Wogress, and Jaeden Case. 

Although Demling stated his motion was aimed at reenforcing RSC policy and not at any one member, his use of the phrase “in light of recent activity” and his statement that Shiao did not say she was speaking only as an individual when she made a public comment at the council meeting, clearly targeted her. He said she “crossed the line” when she tried to undermine the RSC by speaking against it at the council meeting. He added that, as a relatively new RSC member, she might have been “unaware of the existing rules”. McDonald concurred, saying, “If committee members undermine our own policies it all falls apart.” 

“If this body had had the robust discussion that we should have had, we could be in a very different place right now.”

Jennifer Shiao, member of Amherst School Committee and Regional School Committee

Shiao decried Demling’s patronizing attitude by  suggesting that she might not know the committee rules, stating:

“Last week I published a post on my own School Committee blog that details these uncontested facts:

1. The Regional School Committee voted to approve the track and field project with artificial turf.
2. I voted in favor of it.
3. In our deliberations in February and March of this year, we never discussed the environmental or health risks associated with artificial turf.
4. I myself did not do my due diligence in researching artificial turf.

“Also last week, I gave a public comment at the Amherst Town Council meeting during which I shared these facts. 

“When I learned earlier this month that in February, the same month that we were discussing our project, the Nantucket School Committee invited scientists, members of the public, and representatives from Weston and Sampson — the design firm we’ve been working with on our project — to a public workshop at which the topic of PFAS, a man-made chemical that does not break down and is used in manufacturing the blades of grass in artificial turf, to discuss, ask questions, and get answers on this topic. They held a whole meeting that lasted an hour and forty minutes, just on the topic of PFAS in artificial turf. That was when I realized how badly we had let down our students, the school community, and the public. We didn’t even discuss it. We didn’t give ourselves and each other, and our community, the opportunity to learn about PFAS in artificial turf, to hear from experts, and to make an informed decision.

“For an individual school committee member [Allison McDonald, chair of the Amherst School Committee and member of the Amherst Regional School Committee] to say tonight, “I’ve been working on this for three years, I did my due diligence, you’re on your own…” is antithetical to us being one committee who works together for the benefit of our students and our school community…. I’m stunned to hear that.

“I was in compliance with our policies when I described the facts about the School Committee’s decision on this project. There may be those who don’t like what I had to say, and are unhappy that I said what I did, but I will not be bullied into silence. I also do not need to be patronized as a new school committee member. I will rely on my values of integrity and transparency to guide my actions. 

“I would like to ask my fellow school committee members, why didn’t we talk about this back in February and March? Were you aware of the environmental and health risks of artificial turf then? If you were aware, and you didn’t bring it up, why? If you were not aware, do you also feel that we should have talked about it?” My feeling is that if we had talked about this, if this body had had the robust discussion that we should have had before we voted, we could be in a very different place right now.”

Demling altered his motion by removing the phrase “in light of recent activity” in response to comments from other members of the committee suggesting that the motion should not target any specific member. But Demling then proceeded to chastise Shiao during the discussion of the motion. Pelham School Committee representative Margaret Stancer and Leverett representative Craig Cohen asked why the committee needed a motion to enforce existing rules. The vote was 3-4-1 with Demling, McDonald, and Sarabess Kenney (Pelham) voting yes and Stancer, Cohen, Shiao, and Shutesbury representative Steve Sullivan voting no. RSC Chair Ben Herrington abstained and Irv Rhodes was absent for this vote.

School Committee Chair Ben Herrington encouraged everyone “to learn how to listen to each other and continue the conversation using civil discourse”.

Superintendent’s Letter Endorsed
At the November 15 RSC meeting, Shiao asked that the committee revisit the decision to use synthetic turf on the athletic field inside the track in light of the concerns that had emerged about its health and environmental risks. Herrington introduced the discussion by noting that “there are more than two sides to turf debate and no one has all the answers”. He encouraged everyone “to learn how to listen to each other and continue the conversation using civil discourse”.

Shiao asked if the RSC could reconsider Option 2, which involves reorienting the track and widening it to eight lanes, as well as enlarging the interior field and improving its drainage, but keeping it in grass. School Finance Director Doug Slaughter said that because the approved motion stipulated that the field must be artificial turf (which was at Demling’s insistence, despite Slaughter’s recommendation that the surface not be specified), reconsideration would involve rescinding the March 15 vote and going back to all four towns with the new proposal. This would delay construction until after July 1 because Leverett, Pelham, and Shutesbury have their town meetings in early spring.

Adam Feltman, who works for the Department of Public Works and has the most responsibility for  the fields, noted that they are difficult to maintain because of overuse. He also said that  the fields needed extra watering last summer because of drought conditions.  He also noted that poor drainage often means that the high school fields are muddy and unplayable. He said artificial turf fields can be used more frequently than grass and are fit for sports even after rain or snow. Student School Committee representative Jaeden Case said that several of her soccer teammates have suffered injuries due to the poor condition of the existing grass fields.

School Superintendent Mike Morris said that Option 2 does not solve the overuse problem. He and Athletic Director Victoria Dawson drafted a letter to the Town Council asking for a commitment for extra funds, including all CPA funds, and DPW personnel to maintain the grass fields or increase the number of fields if synthetic turf is not used.

Demling noted that the funding for the preferred option has not failed yet, despite the fact that the Town Council did not approve allocating $900,000 from free cash to the project by a 6-6 vote at its November 21 meeting. He said the Hurricane Boosters have until January 16 to raise a substantial amount of money and that  all of the town councilors had received an email saying that the November 21 vote would be up for reconsideration at their December 5 meeting. He moved to endorse the letter from Morris and Dawson. Shiao objected to the letter because it would mean not supporting other projects seeking CPA funds such as Crocker Farm playground improvements. The motion passed 8-1, with Shiao dissenting.

School Survey Results Reviewed
McDonald presented a summary of the responses to a survey that was circulated by the RSC in October about school conditions and priorities. There were 244 responses from middle- and high school students, staff, and parents. The responses will be taken into consideration when the regional school district budget is discussed over the next several months. The budget discussion will begin on December 17 when officials from the four towns in the region meet. 

A majority of survey respondents were satisfied with the academic program, but felt the facilities are lacking. Competitive salaries for staff, high academic achievement, and small class sizes were ranked highest among their priorities. Students also named electives and athletics as high priorities.

At 10:40, the RSC convened in executive session, presumably to discuss contract negotiations with the Amherst Pelham Education Association union.