Lawrence & Andover

Comparing Lawrence & Andover schools and student bodies

The Lawrence-Andover border sits just on the Lawrence side of Route 495, with some streets crossing Andover into South Lawrence where Lawrence High School sits. That border separates one of Massachusetts’ poorest cities, and one of its few majority-Hispanic cities, from one of its wealthiest communities, a majority-white suburb.

Lawrence has seen strong academic improvements since the beginning of state receivership in 2011, but the difference in opportunity between these communities remains large. The state still deems one third of Lawrence schools underperforming, while Andover has no such schools. Andover’s graduation rate is more than 20 percentage points higher than Lawrence’s, and the suburban community has much higher test scores.