All Around APS

Dear APS families and staff,

March is a particularly busy month at APS, and I’d like to share some important updates with the community. As we move forward with the K-8 Redistricting process, the district will be hosting a Let’s Talk! community forum with DillingerRAD at the Robb Senior Center on Saturday, March 8th, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This forum provides an opportunity for community engagement prior to the School Committee’s vote on the redistricting plan, which will take place on March 20th.

At Thursday’s School Committee meeting, the Committee voted 5-0 to approve the FY26 Budget following a public hearing. In December 2024, the district was facing a $1.87M budget deficit. I am pleased to share that during the budget development process, we have identified savings that have reduced the deficit to $177,845. We expect the deficit amount to decrease further through natural attrition as staff make personal decisions in the coming months.

The FY26 Budget reflects the district’s Strategic Plan and long-range goals to provide all students with high-quality academics and enriching educational experiences, so they may be life-long learners, critical thinkers, and compassionate community members. I would like to thank my leadership team for their strategic thinking and hard work in service to our students. Also, I am appreciative to the community for their engagement and support during the budget process.

Finally, the district continues to monitor recent headlines focused on potential changes to the U.S. Department of Education. We will continue to evaluate any potential impact to the district. We pay particular attention to Massachusetts state laws and guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The quick pace and nature of the possible changes can be overwhelming; our focus is always on providing a safe and supportive environment for our students. We can understand the concerns families may be feeling as we navigate any new information and will share updates with the community when necessary.

Dr. Magda Parvey

Superintendent

The Andover High School Robotics Club (ARC) have had an amazing season so far this year and will compete in the First Tech Challenge state competition at Wentworth Institute of Technology on Sunday, March 9th! ARC is very popular at AHS; we are one of the few schools across Massachusetts with four teams- Sandstorm, Thunder, Lightning and Hailstorm.

Event qualifiers are held throughout the state and during the school year for students to compete and show off their skills. ARC’s final qualifier of the year was held last month in Canton and created new records for all four teams. Based on their hard work and performance, this is the first time all four teams Sandstorm, Thunder, Lightning and Hailstorm have qualified to be four of the 36 teams to compete in the state competition. What a great accomplishment for ARC and we wish you the best of luck this weekend!

Thanks to the generous support of the Cummings Foundation Grant, our Andover district-wide author series continued this week with inspiring visits at both the elementary and secondary levels. Authors reinforced that storytelling allows us to embrace who we are, find our community, and understand that we are never alone in our experiences.

For our elementary author visit, we were honored to welcome Dr. Rajani LaRocca, award-winning author of Red, White, and Whole and Where Three Oceans Meet. Dr. LaRocca captivated grade 3-5 students with her heartfelt stories that explore family, heritage, and finding one’s place in the world.

During her presentation, Dr. LaRocca shared how her own experiences as an Indian American shaped her writing, emphasizing how stories help us understand who we are and where we belong. Her stories weaved together her interests in science and medicine, as well as fantasy and cultural identity. She reminded students that none of us is just one thing—while history shapes us, it does not define us, and our stories matter because they help us understand who we are, where we belong, and how we connect with others.

At the secondary level, we had the opportunity to host Gene Luen Yang, acclaimed author of American Born Chinese, Dragon Hoops, and Boxers & Saints. Yang presented to students in 7th, 8th, and 10th grades, in addition to students in the Graphic Novel elective and Graphic Design Fine Arts classes at AHS. On Wednesday, the AHS Student Steering Committee, led by AHS Librarian Mary Coombs and students from AHS and West Middle School, followed Mr. Yang’s presentation with a Q&A session. Yang also presented to students at Wood Hill and Doherty Middle Schools during the week.

During a creative workshop for the AHS Graphic Novel class specifically, Mr. Yang shared his creative process with real stories and examples. Similar to Dr. LaRocca, Yang emphasized that stories give us the power to shape our identities and connect with others who share similar experiences.

• Wednesday, March 12, 2025 – Early Release Day

• Friday, March 14, 2025 – Holi*
• Thursday, March 27, 2025 – Laylat-al-Qadr
• Monday, March 31, 2025 – Eid al-Fitr*

*Observance begins at sundown the previous day

March is Women's History Month

This month marks Women's History Month, a time to celebrate the incredible contributions of women throughout history and continue to promote gender equality and empowerment. This year’s theme is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.” We wish to recognize and honor the women who have made a lasting impact on our world.

Communication with our families is essential to the success and wellness of our students. To assist our families and help them connect with the appropriate staff who is best suited to answer questions, we have updated our “Who We Are” page on our website. The information will guide families to resources on how to reach staff with concerns and how to stay connected to news and events across the district.

On Thursday, March 6, 2025. the School Committee held a public hearing on the FY26 Budget to hear from the community before the start of the regular business meeting. Items on the agenda included a 5-0 vote on the FY26 Budget, an update and vote on the revised AHS competency determination requirements for graduation, and a mid-year discussion on the superintendent’s goals.

The next School Committee meeting will be held on March 20, 2025. Agendas are posted up to 48 hours in advance on the district’s website.

The School Committee voted 5-0 to approve the Superintendent’s Recommended FY26 Budget. The budget process begins annually each fall and is refined prior to the Committee’s vote. In December, the district was facing an estimated deficit of $1.87 million for FY26. Through the budget refining process, the district identified savings that have reduced the deficit to $177,845. The School Committee would like to thank the superintendent and her administrative team for their hard work throughout the process and for their commitment to our students.

Some highlights of the FY26 Budget:

• Preserves services and programs for students
• Meets all contractual obligations
• Maintains the non-salary expense at the FY25 level and will reduce these expenses by 2.5%.
• Further reduces contracted services by $50,000 to help offset an increase in contracted service fees for students’ activities (i.e., rental of athletic facilities, transportation and athletic training). The district’s Special Services contracts are not included in these reductions in order to maintain services and programs for our students.

As the School Department’s budget is part of the overall Town of Andover’s budget, the superintendent and School Committee will participate in the annual Triboard workshop (Select Board, School Committee, and Finance Committee) on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 9 a.m. in Memorial Hall Library. This workshop precedes Andover Town Meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the Collins Center at Andover High School. Preliminary warrant articles for town meeting are available for review on the town’s website.

The School Committee is seeking nominations for the APS Staff Shout Out. This is an effort to recognize our extraordinary staff who embody the mission, values, and vision of the Andover Public Schools. Please share your nominations here. Selected staff will be announced at each School Committee meeting. We look forward to hearing how our staff have made a meaningful impact on your student(s).

Much like “office hours,” School Committee informal forums allow for an interactive dialogue with the Andover community. These meetings have no set agenda and are attended by two members of the Committee. All members of the Andover community are welcome and encourage to attend to discuss any item under the purview of the School Committee.

The next School Committee Informal Forum will take place on Monday, March 10th at 7 p.m. at the Ballardvale Fire Station (161 Andover Street). More information on upcoming Informal Forums can be found here.

The School Committee recognizes their responsibility to reflect and represent the diverse needs of the community. There are a number of ways to provide input and feedback on issues under the purview of the School Committee. Please visit this page to learn more about the different ways you can connect with the School Committee.