Students Protest Deteriorating Conditions at Middle School. Superintendent Reports Vast Majority of Her Time Is Spent on Litigation, Personnel, Finance, and Operations.
Amherst Regional Middle School and Amherst Public Schools District Offices. Photo: Amherst Public Schools
Report on the Meeting of the Regional School Committee Meeting, May 13 2025
The Amherst Regional School Committee met on Tuesday, May 13 in the Amherst Regional High School Library. The meeting was simulcast over Amherst Media Channel 15 and was recorded, The recording can be viewed here.
The meeting began with an Amherst Regional Middle School Student Council presentation outlining several concerns. Their first request was related to scheduling: they advocated for dropping “Day 7,” a day in the schedule that currently includes Guided Study (essentially study hall) and Advisory Period (a time to do team-building activities or check in with teachers about grades or other supports). They also talked about the physical deterioration of the middle school building, referencing the ceiling tiles that have fallen or that have water damage, as well as visible mold. The students said the neglected state of the building felt like a reflection of the administration not caring about the wellbeing of the students within. The student council also addressed what they felt was an unjust distribution of funding for sports, a school policy that prohibits teachers and staff from giving food or candy to students, the absence of feminine hygiene products in the female student bathrooms, the majority of student bathroom stalls having missing or broken locks, and some of the bathrooms being locked entirely during the school day. Invoking Massachusetts General Law and the Geneva Convention, one student explained in detail how the lack of access to bathrooms and hygiene products violated the ethical and legal rights of students.
The students said the neglected state of the building felt like a reflection of the administration not caring about the wellbeing of the students within.
School Committee members Sarahbess Kenney (Pelham), Jennifer Shiao (Amherst), Irv Rhodes (Amherst), Sarah Marshall (Amherst), Deb Leonard (Amherst), and Anna Heard (Shutesbury) expressed appreciation to the students for bringing the issues to their attention, and also shared their appreciation for the care and preparation that the students put into their presentation. School Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman (Dr. Xi) praised their choice to come and advocate for their fellow students. Dr. Xi addressed each of their points with varying degrees of explanation and compromise, emphasizing that improvements and progress on the issues the student council brought forth will all require the student body as a whole to work in partnership with the building staff and district administration to expect any improvements.
The Regional School Committee went into executive session, and when they returned, William Roundy of Amherst stood for public comment. Roundy teaches Latin 1 at Amherst Regional High School, and spoke about the strengths of the Latin program, which include holding a strong ranking nationally, with students accumulating successes and distinctions that they can use for future opportunities. He wanted the community to know that Amherst will no longer be offering Latin 1 at the high school, so the only entry point for Latin will be in the 7th grade.
Dr. Xi provided an update on the development of a Caregiver Code of Conduct, a shared set of expectations for how families and schools can work together to maintain safety, especially on school grounds, and be partners in creating safe and supportive learning environments. A first draft was introduced on March 20, initiating a period for feedback and discussion which closed on May 12. The revised draft is being prepared for submission to the district’s legal team for a compliance review, and will be presented to the district’s leadership team for approval before a comprehensive rollout plan for the fall is developed (including communication strategy and staff training).
School Committee member William Sherr (Pelham) requested that school committee members be permitted to join the Human Rights Campaign’s “Welcoming Schools” training workshops that are currently being provided to staff district-wide over the course of two years. Sherr was also interested in discussing ways to increase participation in the training, particularly among administrators.
Leonard asked if there were updates about leadership for the Amherst Regional Middle School for the Fall 25-26 school year. Dr. Xi said there would be a formal update by the end of May, but that currently the Assistant Principal Juan Rodriguez is serving as the Interim Principal, and Dean Letha Gayle-Brisset is serving as the interim Assistant Principal. Additionally, the Summit Academy principal, Dave Slovin, is retiring, and interviews will be held soon for his full-time replacement.
Jennifer Shiao asked what Dr. Xi’s ideal breakdown of time would look like, and the superintendent answered without hesitation that the majority of her time should be spent on student success (where she has spent 12.7% of her time, YTD).
Dr. Xi presented a followup to the superintendent’s mid-year self-evaluation from an earlier meeting. After thanking the School Committee members for their feedback, she shared her updated goals, as well as a plan for using the Calendly app for efficiency around meeting scheduling. In the original evaluation, there were questions around use of time, so at the May 13 meeting, Dr. Xi presented some findings regarding the average working hours for superintendents – roughly 200 hours per month, or 600 hours per quarter. Her YTD working hours have been an average of 232.7 and 698 per quarter, She also reported the categorical breakdown of where that time has been spent. The vast majority of her time since assuming her role has been spent on personnel and legal matters, and operations and finance. Due in large part to taking on her position in the midst of substantial litigation and needing to both research the historical context and deal with the aftermath, both Dr. Xi and the School Committee hope that the percentage of time spent on legal matters will significantly decrease going forward. Jennifer Shiao asked what Dr. Xi’s ideal breakdown of time would look like, and the superintendent answered without hesitation that the majority of her time should be spent on student success (where she has spent 12.7% of her time, YTD).
The meeting concluded with Director of Curriculum, Equity and Instructional Leadership, Tonya McIntyre, presenting a high-level district-wide update of the Student Support Act. McIntyre shared progress, highlighted the impacts, reviewed the early outcomes, and outlined next steps, and assured each district that they would be receiving data that addressed their specific priorities.
JoAnn Smith Appointed Acting Director of Student Services
The Regional School Committee also held an emergency meeting Thursday, May 15, to appoint an acting Director of Student Services. Current Director of Student Services, Doreen Reid, announced on Tuesday May 13 that she could be taking immediate medical leave through June 30. Dr. Xi appeared before the RSC, alongside Tonya McIntyre, to request that they appoint JoAnn Smith, which they did unanimously.