North Andover committee weighs temporary Kittredge closure, $4 million in cuts as FY26 guidance lands

North Andover School Committee members on Jan. 7 heard a recap of the Jan. 2 budget working session and directed staff to further explore options to meet town budget guidance after Superintendent Lathrop said, “That number is $64,804,000.” The committee did not adopt a final FY26 budget at the meeting but set a schedule for additional presentations and public hearings.

The working-session recap, delivered by Superintendent Lathrop, showed the town manager's guidance at $64,804,000 (a 4.42 percent increase over FY25), noted the town moved $334,000 in Medicaid revenue into the schools' budget, and described a $700,000 reserve reallocation previously approved by the finance committee and select board. District staff presented a target reduction of roughly $4,000,000 (the slide totals showed $4,094,129) to meet that guidance and outlined preliminary ways each cost center and school might contribute to that reduction.

Why this matters: the scenarios presented would change class-size ranges, reduce staff, shift some central-office and technology funding, and could include a temporary closure or relocation of Kittredge School. Those changes would affect students across the district and trigger formal steps (town-meeting votes, MSBA reviews and collective-bargaining considerations) before becoming final.

Key facts and staff direction

- Guidance and gap: Superintendent Lathrop reported the town manager's FY26 guidance of $64,804,000; district leaders estimated a gap of about $4 million relative to a projected level-service budget and identified a preliminary reduction target of $4,094,129.

- Revenue and reserves: the recap noted $334,000 in Medicaid revenue added to the district budget and a $700,000 reserve previously held for middle-school staffing that the town, finance committee and select board moved into the schools' budget.

- Proposed reductions by area: North Andover Middle School was shown with a required reduction of about $901,250 with proposed savings of about $886,000, which staff said could equate to an 8-to-10 positions reduction (classroom teachers and support staff). The high school's target listed $1,148,000 with proposed savings of $957,000 (roughly 7-to-9 positions). Central office and technology reductions were shown at about $224,000; technology proposals included a move to "bring your own device" for grades 6 through 12 rather than providing district Chromebooks at those levels.

- Elementary options and Kittredge: staff described two elementary options. One preserved six schools with per-school spending reductions; the other considered restructuring from six to five schools, which staff estimated could eliminate 18 to 20 teacher/staff positions districtwide, raise kindergarten-through-5 class-size targets to roughly 19'to'27 (from the current 14'to'25 range), and include a temporary three-year closure of Kittredge School. Superintendent Lathrop explained rationale for a potential temporary closure, saying it would "allow for greater flexibility in the placement and design of the new building" and could improve the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) site and footprint options.

- Committee direction (not a decision): members asked staff to "further explore the option of moving the Kittredge students to Sargent," to return with more detailed school-level dollar amounts, and to reexamine alternatives beyond the single relocation option. The committee scheduled a formal budget presentation for Jan. 21 (high school auditorium), a public hearing on Jan. 30, a school-committee chat Feb. 1, and a vote to forward a budget to the select board and finance committee on Feb. 6.

Public response at the meeting

More than two dozen parents, teachers and staff addressed the committee during public comment, nearly all urging alternatives to staff reductions and to closing or displacing Kittredge students.

- "The impact on our children will be devastating," said Julia, a North Andover resident, NAMS world language teacher and president of the North Andover Teachers Association, summarizing union concerns that proposed cuts could remove roughly 40 educator positions, disrupt programs and raise class sizes districtwide.

- Parent Shannon Gately noted rapid community opposition to the closure option: "452 people signed the petition and, actually but that was with pretty much within 24 hours of it being released that strongly opposed the closure of the school." She and others said they want long-range planning, clear relocation plans, and direct participation in any planning that affects students.

- Several parents described specific concerns for vulnerable students. Amanda Laws, a licensed mental-health counselor and Cambridge Public Schools staff member, said, "Closing Kittredge is not in their best interest," and asked how special-education services would be maintained if students were relocated and caseloads increased.

- Other speakers framed the choice as a community question about priorities and municipal finances: Alir Kavai, a parent, said, "We moved to this town specifically, specifically because of its schools," and warned that larger classes would harm learning. Eric McLane, a resident, urged the committee to "go toe to toe with the town manager...to fight for the children's interests." Several speakers suggested exploring overrides, phased options and other revenue sources rather than immediate staff cuts.

Process and legal constraints

Committee members and staff repeatedly distinguished between the working-session exercise, which is exploratory and public, and formal budget adoption. Several speakers reminded the meeting that additional approvals are required beyond the school committee: the district would need finance-committee and select-board action for certain reserve uses and town-meeting votes for any appropriation changes. The meeting record notes the district has an external audit and an Urban Collaborative report; staff said the advisory committee on special education is convening to review those findings and provide recommendations.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (Dec. 5, 16, 19): Motion to accept the minutes as presented. Vote recorded: Hicks yes; Moskovich yes; Brown yes; Cormier yes; chair yes. Outcome: approved.

- Student council overnight trip (MASCS conference, Hyannis): Committee voted to suspend the normal two-read rule and approve the trip on a first read because of registration deadlines. Vote recorded: Hicks yes; Moskovich yes; Brown yes; Cormier yes; chair yes. Outcome: approved.

What happens next

The school committee will receive a fuller budget presentation on Jan. 21 in the North Andover High School auditorium. The public hearing is set for Jan. 30 and the committee plans to vote on a budget to forward to the select board and finance committee on Feb. 6. Superintendent Lathrop and staff will return to the committee with refined school-level reduction numbers and alternatives for any proposed relocations; MSBA schematic review scheduling for the Kittredge project was moved from March to May to allow additional design alternatives to be prepared.

Ending

No final cuts or school closures were approved at the Jan. 7 meeting. The school committee directed staff to develop more-detailed options and figures and to return at the next scheduled meeting for further public discussion and a formal vote on the FY26 budget timeline and recommendations.