SAD 44 School Board members recently voted to close Andover Elementary School unless Andover citizens are willing to pay an additional assessment of $214,000 over and above the $480,000 already assessed to the town.

Their justification for that is declining student numbers, yet the superintendent continues to allow some Andover children to attend other schools, rather than keeping them in the school in the town in which they reside.

School population figures would show a different picture if that practice were stopped. If parents want their children to go to another school, they should be paying, not the town.

Andover students have shown that they are getting an excellent education, meeting and exceeding the scores of other students from other towns in the district. Closing our school would not only hurt our children, but also adversely affect the whole community of Andover.

This move has raised many unanswered questions. Why is Andover being assessed the additional $214,000? What would that money be used for? Would other schools be next? Is this the beginning of a move that will, ultimately, result in a huge new school that would house all district elementary students, thus resulting in huge debt to the district?

District citizens should vote against the upcoming school budget until those questions can be answered. All Andover citizens must become involved in the effort to find a solution that will keep our school open. Without children, there is no future.

We can’t let that happen.

Judy Tabb, Andover