Educator Layoffs Top Of Mind For Upcoming Andover Town Meeting

ANDOVER, MA — The Andover Education Association is protesting "draconian" cuts to the school budget that would lead to layoffs of educators. Superintendent Magda Parvey issued layoff and transfer notices to over four dozen public school educators April 5, according to a statement from the union.

The union is holding a rally at the School Committee meeting Friday to protest the budget cuts and "retaliatory educator transfers that will harm students."

Lisa Chu, a health teacher at Wood Hill Middle School, said Parvey "cannot fail to meet this moment."

"If she refuses to advocate for her staff and students by requesting additional funding at the upcoming school committee meeting, how can students and educators have any confidence in Parvey to lead our school district moving forward?" Chu said in a union statement.

She said that the crisis can end if the school committee makes a budget recommendation to the town meeting "aligned with our community's goals and expectations."

Avery Slaughter, a Doherty Middle School student, said in a union statement: "The recent cuts in Andover Public Schools are having real consequences for so many people in more ways than I can explain."

However, the district said costs have increased, necessitating tough choices.

The district said in a statement: "Costs for transportation, utilities, out-of-district tuitions for special education services, and collective bargaining contractual agreements with some of our unions, combined with overall inflation, were higher than expected and created a $2.7 million deficit in the school department budget."

Additionally, the district noted that over the past decade, student enrollment in Andover has decreased by about 11 percent. In that same time, staffing has not been adjusted to reflect that decline.

"Although this work has not been easy, we are confident that Andover Public Schools can continue to deliver the same quality educational experience for all students," the district said in a statement.

The Andover Education Association went on strike last fall after they were unable to come to an agreement with the Andover School Committee. The two sides reached an agreement in November that boosted teacher pay by 15.5 percent and instructional assistant pay by 34 percent over a four-year period.

The school budget is part of the town's budget for fiscal year 2025, which will be voted on at town meeting Monday, April 29. More information on town meeting is available here.

See related: Andover Teachers, School Committee Reach Agreement; Schools Reopen