An advisory committee formed after an independent review will guide North Andover Public Schools on special‑education changes and next steps, CPAC leaders told the School Committee on May 1.

The committee, convened after a district review by Urban Collaborative, will examine special‑education service delivery, access to general education curriculum, IEP development, staffing and the financial feasibility of recommended changes, CPAC President Sasha Weinrich said. “Our goal is that we will work through this process and kind of all of the information we have in order to provide recommendations to the school committee for consideration,” Weinrich said.

Nut graf: The committee — an advisory body that includes CPAC members, school‑system staff and two school‑committee members — will not make binding decisions but will drill into the Urban Collaborative findings, identify required data and propose timelines so the district can weigh costs and implementation ahead of budget and program decisions.

The panel’s work is funded in part by ARPA funds that the district used to hire Urban Collaborative, Weinrich said. That review recommended a districtwide look at multi‑tiered systems of support and stronger integration between general and special education. North Andover interim executive director of special education Lynn O’Neil and Assistant Superintendent Kristen Ando are participating in the advisory process, Weinrich said.

Members have split into two subgroups — one focused on special education, the other on general education — to develop detailed topic outlines and the data needed to measure progress. The committee has held a small number of working meetings to create the project plan, Weinrich said, and will invite additional stakeholders (teachers, therapists, paraeducators, families) into focused workstreams as needed.

CPAC vice president Lauren Steadman described parallel outreach: parent Q&A sessions and efforts to make school nurses and first responders familiar with communication tools used by students with disabilities. Steadman said the group is coordinating with district staff on platforms for donations and other administrative support.

School Committee members thanked CPAC for its collaboration and asked for a clearer timeline. Weinrich said the advisory group expects to provide a more detailed timeline after its next meeting and after the administration compiles specific data sets and participant availability.

Discussion vs. decision: Committee members did not vote on programmatic changes. The advisory group will produce recommendations and data for the school committee and administration to consider. No formal implementation decisions or budget approvals were taken at the May 1 meeting.

Ending: CPAC and district leaders said they will return with a timeline and milestones after the advisory group’s next meeting, and requested the School Committee’s continued support as they translate the Urban Collaborative review into measurable options for the district.