Special ed and counseling chief resigns from Pelham school district

Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ (left) with Assistant Superintendent Julia Chung.

Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services Julia Chung has resigned effective March 4 after two years with the Pelham school district, said Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ in an email Monday.

Chung took on new responsibilities a year after joining the district on March 4, 2019, when she was charged with managing the handling of Covid-19 in the schools.

In that role, Chung “has done an incredible job monitoring and implementing new and emerging guidance to keep our students and staff healthy and our schools open,” Champ said in the email.

Chung was out on a leave of absence in November and December, with Rosemary Matthews acting as interim. Matthews retired from the district in 2018 after working for 13 years leading the pupil personnel services department, which includes special education, counseling, nurses, social workers and psychologists. Matthews will finish out the remainder of the school year in place of Chung.

Only last week, Chung led a presentation on the district’s mental health programs at a work session of the Pelham Board of Education.

The district plans to immediately begin a search to fill Chung’s position. Input from families and faculty will aid the district in recruiting a pool of candidates, the superintendent said.