Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Dr. E. Xiomara Herman
About 127 students start their day at Pelham Elementary, and the person who answers for their schooling also answers to the neighboring towns Pelham shares its schools with. Dr. E. Xiomara Herman is Superintendent of the Amherst, Pelham, and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools, the shared system that serves Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury. She was appointed by the joint school committees in 2024 and began on July 1 of that year. Pelham Elementary is its own district with its own elected School Committee, and when students reach grade seven they cross into the Amherst-Pelham Regional schools. The Superintendent proposes the school budgets, sets academic priorities, and is hired by and reports to the elected committees, which carry out an annual evaluation.
| Role | Superintendent of the Amherst, Pelham, and Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools |
|---|---|
| District office | 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst, MA 01002 |
| Website | arps.org |
The School Committee
The Pelham Elementary School Committee has five members elected town-wide, and it sets policy for the town’s own school, approves its budget, and helps hire and evaluate the Superintendent shared across the Amherst-Pelham schools. Because Pelham runs its own elementary district but sends its older students to the Amherst-Pelham Regional district, the committee also works through the shared Union 26 administration that links the towns. Margaret Alice Stancer chairs the elementary committee and serves as its Union 26 member; Sarahbess B. Kenney was elected to the committee at the May 12, 2026 town election with 75 votes.
Margaret Alice Stancer
William Sherr
Rachel Figurasmith
Jennifer Sinding Bradbury
Sarahbess B. Kenney
Full roster and terms: Pelham School Committee.
The District at a Glance
- Pelham Elementary district: 127 students, one school, kindergarten through grade 6.
- Grades 7 to 12: the Amherst-Pelham Regional schools, shared with Amherst, Leverett, and Shutesbury.
- Per-pupil spending: $21,768.12 in the elementary district.
- State data: DESE profile (code 02300000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the Pelham School Committee meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 PM, and its agendas and minutes are posted on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Two rooms: elementary questions go to the Pelham committee; questions about grades 7 through 12 go to the Amherst-Pelham Regional committee.
- The budget: the elementary school budget still lands at Town Meeting, where every registered voter can vote on it.
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