North Andover District and TA Union Square Off Over Hours, Pay in Contract Talks

School Committee · Meeting of April 29, 2026

North Andover's School Committee Negotiations Subcommittee and the teaching assistant union exchanged competing priorities — district flexibility versus living wages — in a second bargaining session April 29. Superintendent Lathrop and School Committee Vice Chair Kelly Cormier presented three district priorities: staffing flexibility, workday structure, and attendance standards, including a proposal to set 35 hours per week as the new 1.0 FTE baseline with prorated benefits. The union countered with data showing North Andover holds $9.5 million in free cash, two stabilization funds totaling roughly $16 million, and $5.44 million in excess levy capacity for 2026, while spending $3,852 less per student than the state average.

A TA unit member said starting pay of $22.33 per hour forces many members to hold multiple jobs, and an MIT living wage calculation presented by the union put the minimum required annual income for a single adult in North Andover at over $66,000 — more than double what many TAs currently earn. No formal proposals were exchanged; the next session is scheduled for May 11.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of April 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.