We are disheartened to hear about the potential closing of Kittredge School for the next three years, as are most of the residents in our community who have children who attend this school.  While we understand there are financial burdens that need to be rectified, this type of transition should be implemented in a more thoughtful, calculated way as opposed to so suddenly with little time to prepare the students and staff for such a drastic change.   

The decision to close Kittredge was proposed as a possibility to help meet “district goals”.  As a community, we would like to know what specific goals you are referring to, for it is very clear to us in the Kittredge community that this would make it more difficult for our Kittredge students and our Kittredge staff to attain the achievement goals that have been carefully set out for them in the past.  We believe this change would be detrimental to their achievement for the following reasons:

·       Class sizes will increase while staff numbers decrease.  This will negatively impact all students within the district as there is a direct correlation between teacher to student ratios and levels of achievement.

·       Splitting up classmates after Kindergarten only to do so again in elementary school poses an unnecessary transition that can increase social anxiety in children.  School is meant to be a pillar of stability for children, and it is their right to achieve the same level of social and emotional stability as other children in their neighborhood.  

·       Staff should have more time to make other arrangements before their careers are in a state of instability.  They have been dedicated to creating positive achievement in our students and it is our responsibility to protect their needs and interests as they prepare for this transformation as well.

Decreasing funding to our school system will increase the risk of achievement gaps and social anxiety in our students.

Other Impacts to be considered:

·       School Instability will lead to lower property values in the Kittredge Community which will in turn lead to lower taxes that will benefit the Town of North Andover, having an unintended negative impact on our town’s financial deficit.

·       Displacing staff only to restaff in 3 years you will lose the diversity of experience in the workplace that has been built over the years while also creating undue financial stress to our teachers and staff who have committed their careers to benefiting their communities at large.

·       Current first grade students would have to be displaced twice.  Once in the coming year and once in their last year of elementary school when brought back to the rebuilt school.

·       Students who begin at another school will also have to experience unnecessary transitions upon their return to Kittredge once construction is complete.

Solutions to be considered

• If Kittredge must close, there should be either
  • A gradual phasing out of students who are currently at Kittredge.  This would allow all current students to complete their Elementary years at Kittredge while redistricting the children that would be entering in the coming years, commencing reconstruction once the current first graders graduate.  This would be a more gradual change for both the staff and the students with adjustments only one grade at a time.  Likewise, reentry once reconstruction is complete can occur in the same manner, one grade at a time.  Close the school instead DURING reconstruction, not 4 years before.
  • An opportunity to keep all students together in a place where they will have space to maintain small classes, such as the ABEEC.  If all Kittredge students move into the ABEEC, the expected incoming Kindergarten children can move into their home elementary schools instead of the ABEEC.
• Increase the percentage of funds from the town that are directed to our school system.  Thriving neighboring towns invest almost double of what North Andover does into their public schools (ex. Andover (64%), Middleton (77%), Boxford (73%), while North Andover is proposing to invest between 25%-46% in our schools).  Investing our schools will invest in our future.  

Regardless of what solution is presented, our community strongly feels that:

1. Class sizes should be preserved to optimize our students' achievement.  The proposal to increase class sizes to 27 kids in classes would have drastic negative impacts on both the teachers and students in all schools.
2. Kittredge students should remain together, minimizing the academic and social impact this transition will have on them.
3. A calculated plan addressing the needs of our students and teachers should be made before the School Committee agrees to simply meet the needs of the budget.
4. The finance committee needs to review the percentage of funds that are allocated to the school to help our schools thrive.  The Interim Superintendent is proposing to not only close Kittredge, but to make cuts in every school across the district (including cuts to technology funds, the athletic Department, while also reducing the number of teachers at each school districtwide).  This will impact everyone, not just the Kittredge community. 
   Bottom line: Our schools need to be given more funding.
5. The constituents of this town have a right to vote on this issue, as these issues were not included in the Final Warrant of 2024.

We all understand that there is a financial need in the community to rectify the financial debt incurred by exorbitant expenditures in the past.  Nevertheless, we feel strongly that our students and our staff should not have to be the ones to pay for such irresponsible budgeting.  We deserve to exercise our right to vote on this issue at a Special Town Meeting.