North Andover Superintendent Proposes 5.34% Budget Hike

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover's school budget would increase over 5 percent, to $57.2 million, under Superintendent Gregg Gilligan's proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget.

The majority of the increase would go toward maintaining service, but over $1 million would go into pandemic recovery services, according to his executive summary.

Gilligan's budget conforms to the town manager's 5.34 percent budget guideline, he said.

$2.9 million would go toward maintaining level services, with the remainder of the increase devoted to recovery services and long-term plan positions.

"The recommended budget includes $1,190,000 in positions that will allow us to continue to directly identify and address the interrupted learning that has occurred while transitioning these recovery services positions into the long-term plan positions over the next few years," he wrote. "This will position us well for the upcoming school building/renovation projects that will allow us to address facility needs and provide much needed space for our schools."

Another $1.04 million of federal relief funds would also go toward recovery services. In the current fiscal year, over $3 million in town and relief funds went to recovery and pandemic-related purposes.

In Fiscal Year 2024, the new long-term positions would need to be funded in the budget.

The FY2023 school budget documents are available here.

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