A Message from the Superintendent of Schools

 

Dear North Andover Community,

It’s hard to believe it’s been only three days since our Annual Town Meeting. It was heartening to see such a large and engaged turnout—residents of all ages showing up to take part in meaningful decisions that shape our town and schools. Your presence affirmed something we all know: North Andover cares deeply about its children and their education.

Several important decisions were made Tuesday night that will have a direct impact on North Andover Public Schools (NAPS), and I’d like to take this opportunity to summarize those outcomes and share our next steps. I also want to address a social media post that misrepresents both my words and intentions, and I feel it’s important to clarify the facts for our community.

Town Meeting Highlights

• Article #16 passed, approving a $2.3 million transfer from Free Cash to the FY25 General Fund Budget to offset the NAPS deficit.

• Article #14 passed, transferring approximately $65,000 from the Special Education Stabilization Fund to the FY25 General Fund Budget for the same purpose.

These combined with other funding sources, will allow NAPS to close the fiscal year with no operating deficit.

• Article #7 passed, funding $3.2 million for the NAHS Fields Project, which will ensure safer, higher-quality playing fields for our student-athletes. Nearly $700,000 was also approved for school repairs and infrastructure, and $226,000 for textbook adoptions for grades K–8.

• Article #9 passed, allocating $750,000 to repair the High School tennis courts.

• Article #11 passed, increasing the school operating budget from $68.2 million to $69.2 million—a significant commitment by the town to further support our schools.

The approved $68.2 million budget reflected a difficult but necessary reality: our level service budget, which would preserve all existing services, was significantly higher than available revenues. We worked hard to protect our core learning priorities while acknowledging fiscal constraints. The $1 million increase added through community advocacy is meaningful, and we are deeply grateful for that support.

Community Advocacy and Use of Additional Funds

The North Andover Teachers’ Association (NATA), alongside many community members, worked tirelessly to advocate for this additional funding. I commend their commitment and civic engagement. As I expressed to them in writing, I am truly appreciative of their time, passion, and continued advocacy for our schools.

As superintendent, I take seriously the responsibility to steward our resources in a way that is thoughtful, transparent, and sustainable. During our May 15th Mutual Concerns meeting with NATA, I was asked to immediately commit to using the $1 million increase solely to restore previously cut positions. I responded with honesty and transparency: I could not make that commitment without consulting with our leadership team, School Committee, and finance experts to fully understand our options and responsibilities.

I shared that while restoring positions is certainly under consideration, we also need to account for:

• Potential increases in student enrollment that could require the addition of classrooms to maintain appropriate class sizes;

• Uncertainty surrounding federal Title Grant funding, which supplements our general budget and has historically been used for key student services;

• The rising costs of out-of-district special education tuition, which can shift significantly from year to year.

These are not excuses, they are realities we must prepare for to prevent deeper cuts down the road. I invited NATA leadership to share their priorities, which I assured them would be part of our decision-making process.

Addressing a Harmful Misinformation Campaign

Despite this open exchange, NATA sent a communication today to its membership and posted it on social media that mischaracterizes our discussion, falsely implies I am ignoring the will of the voters, and undermines the integrity of our leadership team. It’s disappointing and deeply concerning that this was done in violation of the purpose and norms of our Mutual Concerns meetings.

The post accuses me of choosing to withhold funding and disregards the full context I shared. To imply that I, and by extension, our team, would prioritize anything other than students’ success and the long-term stability of our schools is not only untrue, but a disservice to the professionalism and integrity with which we approach this work every day.

I have served as an educator and administrator for over 35 years. I am committed to our students, our educators, and the long-term success of the North Andover Public Schools. My leadership is grounded in transparency, collaboration, and care, even when decisions are hard. That will not change.

Looking Ahead

The question of how best to allocate the additional $1 million is now before us. In the coming weeks, I will work with the School Committee and our leadership team to develop a thoughtful proposal that reflects community values, educational priorities, and financial responsibility. We will share this proposal at an upcoming School Committee meeting, where I encourage you, our community, to attend, listen, ask questions, and contribute to a productive conversation.

North Andover has shown time and again that we are a town that values dialogue, believes in facts, and supports its public schools. I am proud to serve you and look forward to continuing this important work together.

With appreciation,

Pamela Lathrop
Superintendent of Schools