June 25, 2020

Dear APS families, faculty and staff,

Today at 12 p.m., Governor Baker and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Jeffrey Riley will announce initial guidance for districts across Massachusetts to re-open schools for the 2020-21 school year. DESE’s Initial Fall School Reopening Memo can be found here.

This initial memo is one of several updates DESE will distribute regarding fall reopening, with more information anticipated in July.

The primary focus of the district’s administration and the APS Return to School Task Force is to navigate this information with collaboration from Andover Public Safety and Health Division. This initial memo, and future mandates from DESE will serve as the framework for the district as we prepare for the upcoming school year.

At APS, our goal remains to continue to provide engaging, high quality education and related services for all. There are many issues to take into consideration including class schedules, remote or in-class instruction, transportation, extracurricular activities, social-distancing, and the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff to name just a few.

We value your feedback and the district will provide an opportunity to participate in a public forum planned for later this summer—the date and time will be announced. We invite you to visit our webpage frequently for updated information.

Thank you for your cooperation as we work to provide a safe learning environment for our students, faculty and staff.

Shelley Berman

Superintendent