Project At-a-Glance

Facility History

  • Andover High was designed beginning in 1963 for grades 10 through 12
  • The school first opened in February 1968
  • The Collins Center was added in 1983
  • 9th grade was moved into Andover High in 1989
  • In 1995, the building was partially renovated and space was added. Primary changes were: addition of the science wing, new entrance, new art classrooms, new field house, and the gym and cafeteria were expanded.
  • Since 1963, standard for educational space – including general classroom size, special education space, lab space – have changed. Based on today’s state standards, the capacity of AHS is 1,400 students

State Partnership Efforts

Andover has submitted a “statement of interest” (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) seeking state assistance for AHS 8 times between 2008 and 2021. The state program is highly competitive, and AHS has never been selected. You can find the most recently submitted SOI here.

Financial analysis shows continuing to wait for MSBA program acceptance is not financially responsible, primarily because construction costs are increasing at a higher rate than MSBA reimbursement rates. Simply put, delaying the project and waiting for potential MSBA partnership will negate any financial benefit.

Previous Facilities Studies

Several studies of the AHS building preceded work of the AHS Building Committee including:

Project Goals

  • Enhance safety and security
  • Eliminate overcrowding
  • Accommodate enrollment growth
  • Support educational program and delivery
  • Improve physical environment
  • Improve site use and campus circulation

Enrollment Trends

Andover High School’s enrollment has fluctuated between 1,647 and 1,806 in the past 20 years, with the most recent dip during COVID. Based on today’s space standards, the capacity of Andover High School is approximately 1,400 students.

Historic Enrollment at AHS

A demographer has worked with the district in both 2017 and late 2022 to examine enrollment. These analyses considered Andover-specific factors including housing turnover, community demographics, mobility rates, develop-able land and zoning.

The 2022 update was commissioned to also consider that several thing changing since the 2017 report including: downward trend of public school enrollment statewide during COVID, and construction of a new, larger West Elementary & Shawsheen Preschool facilities.

In 2017, a report and presentation were delivered by the demographer. The updated 2022 demographic report was discussed by the Building Committee in March 2023.

Separately in 2017, the Mass School Building Authority (MSBA), looked at Andover enrollment projections. Their analysis primarily considers birth rates of town residents, missing the significant number of APS families that move into town only after giving birth.

This information has aided the project team in determining a design enrollment target to right-size the building.