Andover families will get a chance to sit down with Superintendent Keith Taverna before the school year starts, as the district's new leader opens his door for a two-hour drop-in session on Monday, Aug. 24.

The open office hours run from 3 to 5 p.m. in the School Committee Room on the second floor of the district offices at 30 Whittier Court, according to Andover MA News. No appointment is needed. Families and community members can arrive at any point during the session.

The format is an informal group gathering, not one-on-one meetings.

There is no set agenda.

The district said Taverna wants to hear about Andover Public Schools' strengths and the needs and concerns of families, with conversations also focused on strengthening relationships between the district and the community.

First year, full plate

The Aug. 24 session comes nine days before the first day of school on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and marks Taverna's first formal public outreach event as permanent superintendent. The School Committee unanimously appointed him on June 15 after a search that drew 36 applicants, and approved his contract on Aug. 11.

Taverna previously served as Andover's assistant superintendent of administration and finance from 2022 to 2026. Before that, he spent 12 years with Danvers Public Schools, including stints as interim superintendent and assistant superintendent of finance.

His first year comes with significant challenges. A Wednesday, Aug. 19, Essex Superior Court hearing will determine whether a judge pauses new middle school attendance boundaries that affect roughly 200 South Elementary households challenging whether they will continue sending students to Doherty Middle School. Parents argue the School Committee's 2025 redistricting vote was rushed and violated open meeting rules.

Meanwhile, the School Committee has launched a public engagement effort around the future of Andover High School, with a possible Statement of Interest submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority planned for April 2027. At the committee's Aug. 6 workshop, Taverna said supporting the high school project would become one of his professional goals for the coming year, with district staff playing a significant role in community engagement, according to Andover MA News.

The district is also completing a leadership transition: new assistant superintendent of finance Michael Pfifferling starts Nov. 9, filling the vacancy Taverna left behind.

The office hours are open to all Andover Public Schools families and community members. The School Committee Room is at 30 Whittier Court, second floor. No RSVP required.