Andover Public Schools will not implement a new K-8 redistricting plan until the 2026-27 school year, but the school committee is still on pace to approve the plan this spring.
The issue has been an emotional one for families, who worry their students will have to adjust to a new school and may be separated from their friend groups. APS, which had originally planned to begin implementing the plan this coming fall, said the additional time allows families to adjust to the new assignments and gives the district time to plan staffing and transportation changes.
“More than anything, it gives us time to have a process of really giving people an opportunity to learn their new sites, new communities, new placements, and everything else,” Superintendent Magda Parvey told the school committee Thursday. “There are actually a lot of different things that would then need to take place. It’s not just about kindergarten registration or about preparing a family emotionally for a change, but student information system [and] transportation routes.”
Families would still get their new school assignments in the spring of 2025. As part of the community input process, APS is developing an interactive map where families can highlight potential problem areas and offer feedback on the process, which APS is running with Dillinger, an outside consultant.
The plan would impact students in grades K-8 as the district looks to take advantage of additional space at the new West Elementary School. Currently, there are about 590 students assigned to the 191,028 square-foot West El. School officials said Bancroft and High Plain Elementary Schools are close to capacity.
APS last redistricted after the new Bancroft Elementary School opened in 2015.