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Andover High School presents class-size and enrollment analysis to committee
Summary
AHS administrators presented October 1 enrollment and class-size data showing an average academic class size of 21.8 students and departmental breakdowns. Committee members asked for additional metrics (median/mode/range) and clarification on enrollment reporting changes.
Andover High School staff presented a detailed class-enrollment analysis to the School Committee Thursday, describing average class sizes, department-level data and recent enrollment changes.
Master scheduler and AP coordinator Mr. Kelly (data presenter) reported that AHS’s October 1 enrollment figure was 1,609; she noted that a change in state reporting practice removed 36 post‑graduate special education students from the official enrollment count this year, which accounts for a portion of the year-to-year apparent decrease. Current enrollment on the day of the meeting was 1,615, Kelly said.
The presentation showed an average class size (academic departments and many electives) of 21.8 students. Department means ranged from about 18.8 (performing arts) to 25.1 (digital learning and business); core academic areas averaged between about 20.1 (English) and 22.5 (history/social studies). Kelly and Principal Jimmy DeAndrea noted that ensemble music courses deliberately have larger sizes and that some lab-based science classes are capped by safety rules.
Committee members pressed for additional metrics beyond the mean. Administrators had already included median and mode on a summary chart and said they could add low/high ranges for future reports. Members also discussed the practical effect of the district’s generous early schedule-change window: because students may change sections several weeks into the year, class sizes can become uneven after opening-week balancing. Administrators said that flexibility benefits students but causes more variation in section enrollments through October.
The presentation included data on AP section counts (64 AP sections, average AP class size 21.9), dual-enrollment and Virtual High School usage, community-service credited courses, independent-study enrollments, and AHS’s Global Pathways endorsement program (41 seniors expected to receive endorsement this year). Staff said they will share the master-schedule spreadsheet linked in the meeting agenda for public review and provide the data to student government leaders.
Committee members asked how enrollment trends relate to longer-term demographic changes. DeAndrea and Kelly said some drop in enrollment followed the COVID period and the district will continue outreach (for example, AHS at a Glance events) to inform middle-school families about high-school opportunities. DeAndrea said that, if the committee wishes, staff can provide additional start-of-year versus October 1 comparisons or add specific ranges and an expanded set of statistical measures in future reports.
The item was informational; no vote was required.
