AMHERST-PELHAM RSC APPROVES SPANISH PILOT AMID STAFFING, EQUITY CONCERNS
Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee · Meeting of June 23, 2026
Amherst-Pelham RSC approves advanced Spanish pilot for seventh grade. Superintendent Dr. Xi and curriculum director Tonya McIntyre presented a one-year pilot serving heritage speakers, dual-language Caminantes students, and advanced learners across the four-town district, with placement by STAMP proficiency exam and a 24-student maximum per section.
The committee voted 7-2 to proceed, with members Deb Leonard and Laura Jane Hunter objecting that the pilot mixed too many student groups and risked repeating prior failures. Twelve public speakers supported the course, citing achievement gaps for Hispanic and Latino students and the need for advanced pathways beyond sixth-grade Caminantes. The committee rejected a proposed FY27 fee schedule on a 6-3 vote and approved a $2,000-annual cross country gift from former student Ian Marcus with one dissent and two abstentions.
The budget remains at 71% spending with pressures from special education residential placements and special-needs charter and choice students.
In the full story:
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Source: the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee meeting of June 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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