Andover families could see most school user fees rise 2.5 percent for fiscal year 2028 under budget assumptions the School Committee began discussing Thursday, Oct. 29.

Higher transportation and labor costs are driving the proposed increase, Patch reported, citing Andover News coverage. Officials have not set exact fee amounts or a total budget figure. The committee is planning smaller annual increases and tracking rising bus and special education transportation expenses, with key budget meetings scheduled through March.

At the same meeting, the committee's new student representative raised facility concerns at Andover High School.

Senior Tyler Bates, elected by his peers to the School Committee seat, told members that bathroom closures are "probably the number one issue" he hears from classmates. Some bathrooms stay closed for days, forcing students to cross the building during class to find one that's open.

"I don't think it's right that someone in math class should have to go all the way to the ELA hallway to use the bathroom," Bates said, according to Andover News.

Bates acknowledged vandalism and vaping contribute to the problem but said the closures affect students, teachers and custodians alike.

Superintendent Keith Taverna said vandalism sometimes requires ordering replacement parts, which keeps bathrooms shut for days. He pointed to student support specialists who could help monitor the building and asked students to help prevent damage.

Bathrooms were just one item on Bates's list. He campaigned for the representative seat on what he called the "Three W's": walks, water fountains and Wi-Fi. A water fountain near the field house has been broken for several months, he said, and unreliable Wi-Fi interferes with students accessing Schoology assignments.

Bates also pushed for greater flexibility for teachers to take students on brief outdoor walks. He said restrictions had increased because the walks were not considered productive academic time, but he argued the breaks helped students decompress.

Officials provided no specific repair timelines for the fountains or Wi-Fi. The committee took no action on outdoor walks.