^{Select Board Receives Update on Andover High School Improvement Project}

ANDOVER, MA - The Select Board met on Monday, September 8. The meeting was held in the “cafetorium” at West Elementary School as part of an ongoing series, initiated by Chair Alex Vispoli, of meetings held “on the road.” As explained by Vispoli at the beginning of the meeting, the goal of this series is to bring the work of the Select Board into Andover’s neighborhoods and to make meetings more accessible. The series also highlights new and unique public spaces throughout town. West Elementary School opened its doors a year ago. The state-of-the-art elementary school shares a campus with Shawsheen Preschool, which welcomed its first cohort of students this month. The 191,000 square foot facility represents a $168 million total investment. 

Fittingly, discussion of another school building project was among the most significant topics considered during Monday’s Select Board meeting, as the Board received an update on the Andover High School Improvement Project, which aims to make improvements to the existing high school facility and address its most significant deficiencies. Beyond discussion of this project, the Board also considered a Class II license for a proposed used car dealership on Lupine Road, established a subcommittee to evaluate the annual Town Manager review process, and received an update from the Chamber of Commerce on plans for Andover Day on September 20. 

Andover High School Improvement Project
Deputy Town Manager Austin Simko provided a comprehensive update on the Andover High School Improvement Project, detailing the project’s origins, recent milestones, and next steps. The project was initiated by a vote at a Special Town Meeting in November 2023. At that meeting, an article that would have appropriated funds for the schematic design of a full high school replacement project was disapproved. Town Meeting instead approved an article approving $500,000 for the design of a short-term renovation project that would address the most significant deficiencies of the existing facility, including under-sizing. 

As presented to Town Meeting, the approved approach was intended to bridge the gap between the existing building and a new high school building at a future date. 

Following Town Meeting’s approval of this design funding, the Permanent Town Building Advisory Committee (PTBAC) was charged with advancing the exploration of different design concepts in coordination with the School Committee. An owner project manager was appointed, and TBA Architects, Inc. was selected for design services. Throughout a comprehensive study and investigation phase, the PTBAC and TBA conducted outreach to the community and key stakeholder groups, including AHS staff and students, to gauge priorities for a potential renovation project. More recently, a conceptual design for the project has been developed based on this input. 

The conceptual design, initially presented to the School Committee and then presented to the Board on Monday, proposes to renovate 32,000 square feet within the existing facility, while constructing a new, approximately 36,000 square foot science wing. The renovated space would include expanded serving space in the cafeteria, and repurposed space on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors for special education, core classrooms, STEAM programming, and teacher work space. A black box theater is also proposed for the second floor. The new wing is proposed to include 8 biology labs/classrooms, 4 chemistry labs/classrooms, and 2 physics labs/classrooms, along with several science prep rooms, multi-user rooms, a teacher workroom, peer mentoring space, and bathrooms. 

The new wing is proposed to be situated at the northeast side of the existing building, to the right of the main entrance. Simko noted that a newly constructed wing could potentially be preserved and incorporated into a full high school replacement project in the future, depending on the timing and design of a new building, among other variables. 

At this point, the project is estimated to cost approximately $50-$55 million, though more precise estimates would be available at upcoming phases of the project’s development. 

The presentation to the Select Board was strictly informational, as the board would not be required to act until a later phase of the project’s, depending on School Committee advancement of the project. According to Simko, the School Committee voted last week to advance the project through the next round of cost estimation. The School Committee will in the coming months consider whether to advance the project through feasibility and concept development, up to schematic design. Should the project advance through this phase, the Committee would decide again whether to submit a warrant article for the 2026 Annual Town Meeting. Simko emphasized that none of these votes reflect an endorsement of the final project. If a warrant article is submitted, the Select Board would at that time vote on a recommendation of approval or disapproval of the article. 

Town Manager Review Process Subcommittee
Chair Alex Vispoli proposed the creation of a subcommittee of the Select Board to evaluate the annual process used to assess the Town Manager. The Select Board recently completed its annual review process, issuing an overall “Exceeds Expectations” rating to Town Manager Andrew Flanagan. Vispoli noted that the current evaluation framework has been in place for about ten years, dating back to Flanagan’s original appointment.

Vispoli explained that the goal of the subcommittee is to ensure that the evaluation process is fair, consistent, and aligned with the current priorities of the Board. He emphasized the importance of completing the review within approximately a month so that Flanagan is aware of the criteria on which he will be evaluated for the majority of the current fiscal year. 

The Board voted to appoint Vispoli and Select Board Vice Chair Ellen Townson to serve on the subcommittee. Chief People Officer Brittney Lavoie will support the subcommittee’s work and assist in reviewing evaluation practices and documentation.

Other Actions 

• The Select Board presented a proclamation to the Andover Robotics club in recognition of their outstanding achievement during the 2025 season. The club has four teams. Notably, ARC Lightning made history by qualifying for the Robotics World Championships for the first time in the club’s 15-year history, while ARC Sandstorm earned a #2 ranking at the New England Premier Event and advanced to the New England Championship.
• A substantial portion of the meeting was spent discussing an application for a Class II license to operate a used car dealership at 43 Lupine Road. After extensive discussion, focused largely around the suitability of the site and potential impacts to the neighborhood, the Board voted to continue the hearing to September 22^nd, at which point the applicant can provide additional details on his planned use of the site. 
• The Andover Chamber of Commerce provided a preview of Andover Day, the Town’s largest community celebration, which is coming up on September 20. New features include expanded entertainment attractions for children, enabled by the farmers market moving from the municipal parking area at 93 Main Street, and a new video monitor that will show clips from Town departments and community organizations. The Board also approved one day liquor licenses for Oak & Iron Brewing and Marble Ridge Winery to operate a beer and wine garden behind Old Town Hall during the event.
• Deputy Town Manager Michael Lindstrom provided an update on construction of the Haggetts Pond Rail Trail project. A water quality unit was recently installed that will prevent stormwater runoff from the roadway from reaching Haggetts Pond. The parking lot and trail are “rough graded,” in anticipation of paving, with paving expected to take place in early October. Installation of the new accessible boardwalk is now underway. The project is anticipated to reach completion in late October. 

 The Board is scheduled to meet next on Monday, September 22. The full meeting can be viewed online through AndoverTV.