North Andover teachers, parents rally against "devastating" job cuts
Teachers, parents and students rallied Saturday at North Andover Middle School in response to budget cuts announced by the North Andover School District.
The new cuts will eliminate 40 jobs and temporarily close down Kittredge Elementary School at the end of the school year.
North Andover parent Becky Cesarski said the news is upsetting and the community will feel the effects of cutting education resources.
"It is devastating to know that my daughter who is in first grade and my child going into kindergarten next year are really going to be truly affected in their foundational years," Cesarski said.
"I'm sad that I won't be here next year"
Victoria Lonardo is an English Language and Arts teacher at North Andover Middle School, and she was recently told that she would be let go at the end of the school year. For the next couple of months, she will finish out the school year knowing her job will not be there after summer.
"Selfishly, I'm sad that I won't be here next year, but more than anything I'm just so deeply concerned about the students having one less ELA teacher," Lonardo said.
In a statement, North Andover School District Superintendent Pamela Lathrop wrote in part, "We are committed to minimizing as many potential disruptions as possible while keeping the best interests of our students at the forefront."
Lathrop pointed to the ending of federal stimulus funding as a reason for the school district's recent financial difficulties.
