About Us

The Amherst Early Education Center at Crocker Farm offers 5 preschool classrooms for children living in Amherst. The program serves children with special education needs as well as up to 32 peer partners, with a maximum of fifteen children in each classroom. Each classroom is staffed by a preschool special education teacher as well as 2 or more paraeducators. Program staff also includes two speech and language pathologists, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, and a behavior analyst. Peer partners must reside in Amherst and may apply for the morning or afternoon program (8:30-11 or 12-2:30) if they will be 3 years old by September 1st, while they must be 4 years old by September 1st in order to apply for the full-day program (8:30-2:30). Please note that all preschool classrooms run from Monday through Thursday only. There is no preschool on Fridays. The preschool program often receives more applications than there are spaces available. In this instance, a lottery will be held, and children who do not receive a spot will be placed on our waitlist. Students currently in the program will get priority for re-enrolment from year to year. If you have just moved into Amherst or Pelham and your child has an Individualized Education Program, or if you have developmental concerns about your preschool-aged child, please contact the preschool administrator, Elizabeth Burns, directly at 413-362-1610 or burnse@arps.org.