Andover Superintendent Gets Two-Year Contract Extension

ANDOVER, MA — The Andover School Committee voted 4-1 Thursday to extend Superintendent Sheldon Berman's contract two years through June 30, 2022. The contract extension also increases the amount the school system contributes to Berman's retirement account to $25,000 from $22,000 while decreasing his vacation days to 35 from 40. School Committee member Paul Murphy cast the lone vote against the extension, saying he preferred a one-year extension over the two-year extension.

While mostly complimentary of Berman, Murphy referred to recent events that "have proven to be detrimental, time consuming and frankly, embarrassing at times." Last year a group of Andover parents petitioned for Berman's resignation for his handling of the suspension of a popular boys' volleyball coach and, more recently, signs calling for Berman's removal appeared on some Andover lawns after the boys' hockey coach did not have his contract renewed.

Several parents felt hockey coach Chris Kuchar did not have his contract renewed because of Berman's son's experience when he played for Kuchar, which the superintendent documented in a letter. School committee member Tracey Spruce noted that Kuchar had his contract renewed after that speculation arose in 2016.

"It reflected poor judgment by Dr. Berman, but I also considered that it had no adverse impact on the subject of the letter, whose contract was renewed for three successive years," Spruce said.

Last year the school committee approved a 2 percent raise for Berman as part of its annual review under his existing, four year contract. With the raise, Berman's annual salary rose to $227,766. Before the extension, his contract would have expired at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

The school committee released a statement immediately following Thursday night's meeting.

"The School Committee carefully considered many issues in deciding whether to extend Dr. Berman’s contract and received a wide range of input from a broad section of the community. In the end, we focused on what would be best for the District’s students," the statement said. "We believe that, under Dr. Berman’s leadership these past four years, the District’s educational program has positively advanced in multiple areas and we wanted this work to continue beyond the current end-date of the contract. We anticipate that a search for a new superintendent will commence in the fall of 2021."