Regional School Panel Approves New HR Position
School Committee · Meeting of September 22, 2026
Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee splits 4-2 over an HR hire funded by a state aid windfall. The panel voted to create a 1.0 FTE human resources generalist position using $334,000 in rural school aid, $159,000 more than budgeted, after member Tim warned "it's not good budget practice to use a windfall to pay for more FTEs." Member Sarah Best countered that HR has absorbed "a tremendous amount of work," saying "you can't build a ship and fly it at the same time without extra help." The committee also voted unanimously to shift three non-school days to early-release days at Amherst Regional Middle School and Chestnut Street Academy because of delayed roof and boiler repairs, and approved $334,183 in supplemental pay for 179 staff assignments. A motion to adjourn after nearly four hours failed, 5-3.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,081 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of September 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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