ANDOVER — Two former school superintendents and two local lawyers have been engaged by the Withdrawal Committee to assist in negotiations for possible secession from SAD 44.

Susan Merrow, chairwoman of the Withdrawal Committee, said the four experts in school withdrawals were officially hired at a Sunday afternoon meeting at the Andover Town Hall.

Steven Hudspeth and Brian Meyers, both seasonal residents of the town, will provide legal assistance at no cost, Merrow said.

Ray Freve, a former interim superintendent for the Houlton area district, and former Superintendent Jack Turcotte, also from Maine, will assist the committee on a per hour basis.

At issue is the future of the Andover Elementary School, which has an enrollment of about 30 students. The SAD 44 Board of Directors voted in April 2011 to close the school at the end of that school year because of declining enrollment, the aging school house and other issues.

Andover residents objected and voted to raise an additional $214,000, on top of the town’s regular school assessment, to keep it open.

During the current school year, the town raised an additional $68,000, above its $400,000 assessment, to maintain the school.

“We have no fault with the district. We just want to preserve education in our community,” Merrow said.

The committee’s next step will be to negotiate terms of separation with the SAD 44 board, and to establish an educational program for the town’s 100 students, she said.

Work on that task will begin at a meeting next week at the Andover Library at a day to be announced. She said the committee will meet weekly.

The deadline to complete negotiations, according to state law, is the end of January.

In addition to the advisers to the four-person committee, Merrow, who is also a selectman, said other research on educational programming, enrollment and other data needed, is being conducted by several residents.

“As soon as everyone is satisfied (with negotiations), the Department of Education will set a date for voting,” Merrow said. She expects that to come in late winter.