BETHEL – The Board of Directors for SAD 44 Monday authorized the establishment of an ad-hoc committee to study and possibly reapportion the district’s current weighted vote system as required by the state Department of Education.

According to Superintendent David Murphy, he has been in conference with state officials and has received two proposals from the state that can be considered.

“We need to appoint an ad-hoc committee to study the options and look at our apportionment as compared to the newest census,” said Murphy. “The committee is to exist of one official from each town (Andover, Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock), one standing citizen of each town, and one board member from each town. We probably need to meet for the first time in early August, and it will take as many meetings as is necessary from then on. It could be just one meeting or it could be several.”

Asked if the state was apt to veto whatever apportionment the ad-hoc committee decides is appropriate for the district, Murphy said, “I don’t think the state will veto as long as we stay within the 995-1,000 total number of votes that the state has set as a guideline. If we should come out with 994, though, then they would veto it.”

The apportionment in all formats is based on population figures from the 2000 census.

that showed the populations in each town as follows:

Andover 864

Bethel 2,411

Greenwood 802

Newry 344

Woodstock 1,307

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