Dear NAPS Community:

May is an important month for North Andover as our annual  Town Meeting will be held on May 17 at 6:30 pm at North Andover High School. There are several school-related articles on the 2022 Warrant being presented at the North Andover Town Meeting that I would like to share with you:

Article 14 is the Capital Improvement Plan for FY23 and includes funding for the first two Facilities Master Plan II projects. These projects are the design services for both the Kittredge Elementary and NA Middle Schools. They are critical to the success of our students and allow us to address ADA and code compliance issues in our older schools. They make it possible to provide necessary educational support spaces for our highest-need students, as well as create additional space to ensure we can impact class size and accommodate anticipated enrollment growth. If these two projects are approved, neither will result in increased taxes for the community. 

Additionally, Articles 24 and 25 are specific to the Kittredge project. North Andover has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) program in order to build a new Kittredge Elementary School. This will result in the MSBA funding approximately 50% of the costs of this project. As part of the process, MSBA requires 

participating towns to vote for funds to conduct a feasibility study for the project.Article 25 does this. Article 24 seeks to move $3,200.000 into the Town’s capital savings account, called the Capital Stabilization Fund. This is a fund designed to accumulate funds for future capital spending purposes. In addition, to the regular transfer into this account, the Town is appropriating $2,700,000 in new growth to save toward the future design of the Kittredge School.

As always, the key part of Town Meeting for the schools is the annual budget. Article 18 is the General Fund Appropriation for FY23 and reflects the commitment the Town Manager and I have made to our students and to the long-term plan for the North Andover Public Schools. This will allow us not only to maintain level services but as part of our long-term staffing plan also provide additional needed support to our students and staff as we continue to navigate the effects of Covid-19. These positions include social workers, classroom teachers, special educators, math and literacy coaches, and parent liaisons.

I look forward to seeing you on May 17 at 6:30 pm at the High School. Remember there is childcare available, and we ask that you register in advance through Community Programs. 

More information on all the articles in the 2022 Warrant may be found on the town website. 

Sargent Reads 

is a school-wide initiative where any learner can be seen reading in and out of school which continues to make learning fun and accessible. Pictures show themes such as:  Read with a friend, read with a pet or with a Shark, and read outside! Students and staff rose to the challenge as evidenced here and on our big screen in our school lobby. 

The poor farm provided a much-needed support system in New England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and most towns established their farms on the outskirts of town to keep them out of view from the established citizens. The poor farm or almshouse provided assistance for the poor, infirm, undesirable, and traveling "paupers." North Andover's town farm was established on Dale Street in 1855, after its split from Andover, and served North Andover's indigent population for almost 100 years.  Residents of the 20-room farmhouse were expected to provide labor, both in the fields and in the house, if they were able, as well as care for the farm's animals. 

In the mid-1930s the Social Security Act was passed increasing the standard of living and coupled with social welfare programs, enabled families to care for their sick, elderly, and mentally ill family members more easily.  However, North Andover's town farm remained in continuous operation; and as recently as 1964, the building served as the Town's Infirmary.

The last tenant was not evicted from the Town Farm until December 1980, when Ms. Miller was ordered to remove her 3 horses from the property. Saving the farmhouse as a historic site was debated for over 3 years with preservationists arguing that the house's past made it worth saving. The indecision of the townspeople as to whether or not the town could afford to renovate the building led it to become a safety hazard as well as an eyesore.

At the annual town meeting in 1981, North Andover residents approved the fire department burning the farm buildings as a training exercise during the summer. However, on Saturday night, May 9, 1981, the fate of the historic landmark was determined when a fire of suspicious origin destroyed the town's poor farm. All that remains of this relic of the past is a portion of the driveway blocked by large boulders and an overgrown field where the house and barn once stood.

What's Happening at Stevens Memorial Library

More events are added to the Library’s calendar during the month, so watch for the latest news via the Library’s website www.StevensMemLib.org, or Facebook or Twitter using “StevensMemLib.”

Not sure what to read?

• Let us help with recommendations as well as help getting the books, audiobooks, e-books and e-audiobooks to you.

• Talk to a Stevens Librarian in the Library or on the telephone 978-688-9505.

•  Fill out a Reader's request for personalized recommendations.

• Browse our Digital Book Displays. 

• Visit the Children’s Virtual Room and the Teens Virtual Room for their “Newest Arrivals.”

• Fill out a form for a Teens’ “Blind Date with a Bag of Books” or “Surprise Bag of Books” (P.S., you don’t have to be a teen to enjoy Young Adult literature.)

Library Services

• No Library card, or does it need an update? Email Stevens-Circulation@NorthAndover MA .gov

• General questions or help? Email SmlRefServices@NorthAndoverMA.gov or call the Library 978-688-9505.

• Drop-in Tech Help is back Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings. Contact the Reference Desk for other times and help.

• Click on E-Library for 30+ online resources in Art; Hobbies & Crafts; Health/Medical; History; Languages and Literature; Music; Science & Technology.

• Find a virtual storytime on our Youtube channel.

Your Stevens Library Card gets you thousands of e-books, online magazines, and online newspapers, music, etc.

 All these services and the latest updates are on the Library’s website www.StevensMemLib.org. Follow the Library on Facebook and Twitter using “StevensMemLib.”

 Check if the Library building is open if the weather is questionable. The Library updates its website, Facebook, Twitter, and telephone message as soon as any unexpected changes are known. The Library’s digital resources are available online even when the building is closed.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE CORNER

by Andrew McDevitt, Chair

Greetings North Andover,

We are one week away from one of the most consequential, school-focused Town Meetings in recent memory.  The 2022 Town Meeting will take place on May 17 beginning at 6:30 pm in the North Andover High School Field House. We humbly ask you to support Facilities Master Plan II  Facilities Master Plan 1 focused on many town buildings. and now Facility Master Plan II will focus primarily on North Andover's public schools.  Each year, there will be a vote to support the plan.  In year one, we will design and prepare for a project which will be built the following year with the Town's approval.  This year, we are asking for your YES vote on Article 14.  A YES vote allows us to start the design phase for additional classrooms at NA Middle School as well as a new Kittredge Elementary School.  With the Massachusetts School Building Association approving Kittredge, nearly 50 percent of the cost will be reimbursable from the state.  

The next 3 projects following have ZERO impact on residents.  It's the right vote to move our schools forward to 21st-century learning.  Please join us as we start this town-wide initiative.

Finally, congratulations to the NAHS Class of 2022.  On June 3, we will celebrate the graduates.  It's hard to believe their accomplishments and the growth since starting Kindergarten.  As parents, neighbors, and a community we celebrate them all - from college, military, or the workforce - their future is bright and we share your pride.

Best,

Andrew