The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Champ told the public at their Dec. 10 meeting that a recent arrest of a Pelham Memorial High School student occurred off campus and that there was never evidence of a safety threat on district property.

Board President Jackie said the student is a Pelham resident and stressed the district’s commitment to due process and student privacy: “Because this is a student matter, I must emphasize that we are very limited in what we can say publicly,” and later, “This student is a Pelham resident.” Superintendent Dr. Champ described the district’s layered threat-assessment process and collaboration with law enforcement, adding, “Let me be clear, there is no evidence to suggest that there was a weapon or safety concern on our campus.”

Officials pushed back on misinformation circulating online about residency fraud. The board described strengthened residency enforcement in recent years, including expanded use of third‑party investigators and increased funding for investigations and digital registration. Jackie and Dr. Champ said the district has invested in surveillance and investigative work and that identified non‑resident students represent well under 1% of enrollment. The board cautioned that privacy laws and appeals to the state Commissioner of Education limit what the district can publicly disclose about individual investigations.

District staff said the budget includes funding to re-register current fifth- and eighth-graders as part of a transition to fully digital registration; the Registrar’s Office will contact families with instructions beginning in January to update documentation. Officials asked the community to avoid online speculation about student matters and to use district channels for verified information.

No disciplinary specifics were shared because of federal and state student‑privacy protections; board members repeatedly emphasized that appeal rights and legal processes constrain the district’s public disclosures.