Andover High School (Massachusetts)

Andover High School (formerly Punchard High School, The School at Punchard, or Punchard Free School) is a secondary school in the town of Andover, Massachusetts, United States. It is the only public high school in the Andover Public Schools district.[5] The school's administration is headed by Betty Taylor,[6] the interim principal, and is overseen by Superintendent of Schools Magda Parvey.[7]

Andover High School
Andover High School
Address
Map
80 Shawsheen Road

,
01810

United States
Coordinates42°39′26″N 71°09′18″W / 42.6571°N 71.1551°W / 42.6571; -71.1551
Information
School typePublic secondary school
Opened1854[2] (As the Punchard Free School)
1968[3] (At current facility)
School districtAndover Public Schools
NCES District ID2501950
SuperintendentMagda C. Parvey
CEEB code220025
NCES School ID250195000045
PrincipalJames D’Andrea[1]
Grades9-12
GenderCoeducational
Number of students1,702 (2022-23)[4]
Color(s)Navy Blue and Gold
   
Athletics conferenceMerrimack Valley Conference (MVC)
MascotGolden Warrior
Team nameAndover Golden Warriors
NewspaperAndover View
Communities servedTown of Andover
Websitehttp://www.aps1.net/AHS/index.htm

Campus

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Overview

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As of June 2020,[6] The Andover High School campus comprises one central academic facility, housing several classrooms, laboratories, health center and administrative offices. Connected to its northwest side[8] is the J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts, an auditorium that seats 1,203[9] people and is used for both school and town functions. To the southeast,[8] two indoor athletic facilities abut the academic center (the Dunn Gymnasium[10] and the Field House[11]) alongside central locker rooms and athletic offices and storage. The school has a media center/library located in the center of the school and a cafeteria located toward the north-west side of the school, just south of the Collins Center.

Outdoor athletic fields

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Andover's campus contains 4 fields (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest) and 1 stadium[12] for athletic use.[6][8] The northeast and northwest fields are divided by the main artery roadway off of Shawsheen road. The northwest field contains 1 baseball diamond and dugouts respectively. The south-most portion of the northwest field contains a hill, disqualifying that portion of the field from most athletic uses, however, is commonly used for sledding in the winter seasons.[13] The northeast and southeast fields are generally flat and each contain baseball and softball diamonds respectively. The southwest field is the smallest, by area, and is primarily used only by the physical education classes for outdoor activity.

Immediately northeast[8] of the Dunn Gymnasium, there are accommodations for up to seven tennis matches.

The Eugene V. Lovely Memorial Field is Andover's outdoor football stadium. It was formerly used for the high school's commencement[14] but was then abandoned due to size limitations as the school's population rose. The stadium is primarily used by Andover's football team, the Golden Warriors. In addition to bleachers and a turf field,[15] there is a 400 meter track, and accommodations for field activities for track-and-field teams. Along the east side of the field, there are locker room facilities, along with a building used for the sales of concessions. The Eugene V. Lovely field is located to the far south of the school's campus, and abuts the parking lot off of Red Spring road.[8]

Parking

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The Andover High School campus facilitates parking and traffic patterns for students and faculty. To the far north, immediately adjacent to Shawsheen Road, a portion of the West Middle School parking lot is allocated for student parking. Additional student allocations include a lot immediately north of the tennis courts, along Moraine Street, and in the parking lot to the south of the Eugene V. Lovely field, abutting Red Spring Road.[8] Faculty parking is accommodated in lots adjacent to the J. Everett Collins Center and to the south of the field house.[16]

Andover Youth Services Skate Park

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The Town Of Andover's Youth Services manages a skate park at the east side[8] of the school's campus.

Plans for renovation

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Since October 2018, the Andover School Committee has held sub-committee meetings regarding the state of facilities at the High School. Citing overcrowding and outdated facilities, the town sought monetary allocations from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA),[17] however, have been repeatedly denied. Andover residents approved article 18 at the 2022 annual town meeting, which appropriated $1.5 million to infrastructure repairs at the high school.[18] As of May 2022, discussions toward future renovations are ongoing.[10][19]

Student life

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Andover High School offers a variety of activities for students.

Sports are also offered at Andover High School for both men and women. Offered year round, the sports vary from Track and Field to Swimming and Diving as well as Volleyball. The teams compete in the Merrimack Valley Conference. The teams, whose mascot is a golden eagle, are styled as the Golden Warriors.

Performing arts programs, including a drama guild, show choir, other vocal ensembles, marching band and orchestra are facilitated in the J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts.[20][21]

November 2011 hazing incident

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In November 2011, The Eagle-Tribune reported that police were investigating claims that two Andover High School basketball players were hazed by older team members. They reportedly were pressured to engage in a sexually-charged game while at an athletic camp.[22] In January 2012, it was reported that two students had been expelled over the incident and a further five were suspended. A grand jury was convened to determine if any of the students should be charged criminally.[23]

Demographics

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According to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education annual statistics, for the 2020–2021 academic year, the demographic enrollment distributions for race, gender and grade level at Andover High School (Massachusetts) are as follows:

Total number of enrolled students: 1,756
Total number of full-time equivalent educators: 132.8
Therefore, the student to teacher ratio for this school is 13.2:1

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity (2020–2021)[24]
Race Enrolled Pupils* % of District
African American 46 2.6%
Asian 341 19.4%
Hispanic 126 7.2%
Native American 4 0.2%
White 1,198 68.2%
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0 0%
Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 42 2.4%
Total 1,756 100%

* Approximate number of enrolled pupils is calculated based on total number of students in district, multiplied by reported percentage, and rounded to nearest whole student.

Enrollment by gender (2020–2021)[24]
Gender Enrolled pupils Percentage
Female 937 53.36%
Male 816 46.47%
Non-binary 3 0.17%
Total 1,756 100%
Enrollment by Grade[24]
Grade Pupils Enrolled Percentage
9 437 24.89%
10 437 24.89%
11 408 23.23%
12 446 25.4%
SP* 28 1.59%
Total 1,756 100%

* SP = Special Education Beyond Grade 12[25]



Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "APS Names New AHS Principal". 22 May 2024.
  2. ^ "36 Bartlet St". Andover Historic Preservation. Andover Center for History and Culture. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  3. ^ DiNisco, Kenneth F (16 October 1989). Andover Public Schools Physical Plant Assessment / Phase II. Memorial Hall Library: Andover School Committee. p. 264.
  4. ^ "Andover High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "Andover Public Schools - Schools". Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Andover High School | Andover Public Schools - Official Website". www.aps1.net. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  7. ^ "Superintendent's Office Andover Public Schools - Official Website". www.aps1.net. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Andover High School Facilities Map" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  9. ^ "J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts". www.collins-center.com. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  10. ^ a b Writer, Kelsey Bode Staff (7 January 2018). "Andover High is old; renovations will be costly". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  11. ^ "Facility & Field Rentals | Andover, MA". andoverma.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  12. ^ "Eugene V. Lovely Memorial Field". Foursquare. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  13. ^ "Places to Go Sledding in Andover". Andover, MA Patch. 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  14. ^ The Andover Center for History and Culture (7 June 1978), The one-hundred nineteenth Commencement Exercises of the Andover High School, vol. 2019.088.1, p. 1
  15. ^ Cruz, Education Notebook Gabriella (29 September 2016). "AHS plays first home game on new turf field". The Andover Townsman. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  16. ^ "2019 AHS Traffic Plan Update | Andover Public Schools - Official Website". www.aps1.net. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  17. ^ "Data and Presentations | Andover Public Schools - Official Website". www.aps1.net. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  18. ^ Finance Committee Report May 17, 2022 Annual Town Meeting. Town of Andover. April 25, 2022. p. 36.
  19. ^ "Andover High School Facility Study Committee | Andover Public Schools - Official Website". www.aps1.net. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  20. ^ "Andover Vocal Music Program | Andover Public Schools - Official Website". www.aps1.net. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  21. ^ "Andover High School Drama - About Us". www.andovertheatrearts.com. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  22. ^ Harmacinski, Jill (November 29, 2011). "Alleged Andover hazing gets camp kicked off campus". The Eagle-Tribune. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  23. ^ Harmacinski, Jill (January 8, 2012). "Andover hazing detailed in lawsuit". The Eagle-Tribune. Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  24. ^ a b c "Enrollment Data (2020-21) - Andover High (00090505)". profiles.doe.mass.edu. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  25. ^ "Profiles Help-About the Data". www.profiles.doe.mass.edu. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  26. ^ Brian Messenger (June 26, 2008). "Keys to the town for Michael Chiklis: Andover's own TV bad boy to be honored tomorrow". The Andover Townsman Online. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  27. ^ Tim Lima (July 31, 2014). "Classmates cheer kind, hard-working Arthur T. Demoulas; Embattled Market Basket ex-CEO called 'just one of the boys'". The Andover Townsman Online. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  28. ^ Barry Scanlon. "After a brilliant amateur career, Andover's Rob Oppenheim has set his sights on the PGA Tour". North Shore Golf and Tennis. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  29. ^ "Andover's Ryan Hanigan Signs Extension With Reds". CBS Boston. March 14, 2011.
  30. ^ "FACES IN THE CROWD". Sports Illustrated. November 30, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2022.