North Andover Enrollment Rebounds With Record Pre-K Class Size

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover Public Schools enrollment partially rebounded for the 2021-2022 school year, according to Oct. 1 data included in Thursday's School Committee meeting agenda.

Enrollment remains below pre-pandemic levels, with Oct. 1, 2021 enrollment, 4586, down 81 from 2019.

But there are more students at district schools than there were a year ago, when the district had 4,566 students — the lowest level since 2007-2008.

>>North Andover Kindergarten Enrollment Dropped Over 10% Last Year

The rebound was entirely at the prekindergarten level, where enrollment more than doubled from 70 students last year to 160 this year. Excluding prekindergarten, enrollment declined by 20 students.

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The prekindergarten enrollment growth makes up for a major decline at that level last year, when it fell by nearly half. The 2021-2022 class is the largest on record, up 35 students from the pre-pandemic 2019 class.

Among older students, on the other hand, enrollment declines continued. North Andover High School enrollment fell by 37 students from Oct. 1, 2020 to Oct. 1, 2021, and the grade 9 class is down 22 students, about 6 percent, from last year's grade 8 class.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.