DIXFIELD – The Western Foothills Regional School Unit was chosen Thursday night as the name for the proposed school system made up of three area districts and an unaffiliated town.

Representatives from SAD 43 in Rumford, SAD 21 in Dixfield and SAD 39 in Buckfield, and the town of Hanover overwhelmingly agreed on the name because it describes the geographical location of the system.

The name won’t be official until voters in each of the 12 towns involved agree to the merger plan in November.

The representatives will have its final meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at the Buckfield Town Office to finalize the plan before voters in all three districts accept it.

It must be submitted to Department of Education Commissioner Susan Gendron by June 13 for acceptance, SAD 21 Superintendent Tom Ward said.

Other decisions made Thursday include:

• Retention of an earlier agreement to form a 17-person school board. Peru representative Jim Pulsifer had suggested that his town, Mexico and Rumford be assigned more representatives, to bring the total to 21. The plan now calls for one representative each from Canton, Carthage, Peru, Hartford, Sumner, Byron, Roxbury and Hanover; two each from Dixfield, Buckfield and Mexico; and three from Rumford.

• If people in one or more of the three districts vote against the merger in November, then the Reorganizational Planning Committee must reconvene to work out another plan. If only Hanover votes it down, then the merger will go ahead.

• If any school building or other property is no longer needed in the new regional school unit, then it would be offered to the town where it is located. If the town does not want it, then the school unit would sell it.

• A joint meeting of the school boards from all three was set for Aug. 19 when an interim secretary, who will act as a superintendent, will be appointed. That person cannot apply for the superintendency of the Western Foothills Regional School Unit.