Andover Special Town Meeting Called With $19M Needed For New Schools

ANDOVER, MA — The Town of Andover Select Board on Monday approved a recommendation for a Special Town Meeting in December to address a need for approximately $19 million more in funding for the West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool construction project, according to Andover Public Schools.

The recommendation for the Special Town Meeting was made by the West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building Committee.

The West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building Project, which began construction this past spring, faces a budget deficit resulting from the impact of inflation and other economic conditions being felt across the country, according to the building committee

Pending final Select Board approval, the Special Town Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on December 1, at the Collins Center at Andover High School.

According to the building committee, bids for project construction have come in 14 percent over budget, resulting in the supplemental appropriation request of approximately $19 million.

The building committee said the $19 million figure is a projection, and that the number could change.

The goal, the committee said, will be to arrive at a number that does not ask the community for more than is needed to complete the project, but that also ensures that the project can be completed without future budget requests.

What will that mean for Andover residents?

"Should voters at Special Town Meeting approve the request, we anticipate the increase to household property taxes to be about $83 per household for 30 years," said Andrew Flanagan, Andover Town Manager.

To approve the supplemental appropriation, a two-thirds majority vote by the town meeting voters is required.

Flanagan said his office is committed to providing robust outreach to the community before the Special Town Meeting in order to answer questions about the project.

Joel Blumstein, chairperson of the West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building Committee said calling for a Special Town Meeting in order to increase property taxes is not a step the committee takes lightly.

"The budget deficit for this project is reflective of the current economic forces and supply chain issues seen across the country, and not due to the scope or management of the project," Blumstein said. "We recognize that the community wants to understand the direct impact this will have on their households. Our goal is to be transparent throughout the process."

Susan McCready, chairwoman of the Andover School Committee, said a Special Town Meeting allows the community to have a voice in the project's next steps.

But McCready said that further reductions in the project scope would impact the educational plan for the project.

"Our community deserves to fully understand impacts and act on that at a Special Town Meeting," McCready said.

In a statement, Dr. Magda Parvey, superintendent of Andover Public Schools, called the completion of the project something that will "benefit all students in the district and is an important step to enhancing the quality education our community deserves."

More information about the West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building Project and the Special Town Meeting is available on the Andover Public Schools website.