ANDOVER — Residents will decide Jan. 7 whether to withdraw from SAD 44 and form their own district.
Susan Merrow, a selectman and head of the Andover Withdrawal Committee, said this week that the state’s Department of Education gave final approval for the educational plan for the town’s 100 or so students on Nov. 20.
Prior to the final vote on withdrawal, two public hearings will be held.
The first is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Town Hall. The second is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 4 at the Town Hall. Along with members of the Andover Withdrawal Committee, Steve Hudspeth, a local attorney, and Jack Turcotte, a former school superintendent, will provide answers to questions and outline the advantages and disadvantages of withdrawal, the costs involved and a myriad of other data. Both men have served as consultants on the withdrawal procedure for the Withdrawal Committee.
Merrow said three residents have already taken out nomination papers to sit on the planned three-person Andover School Committee. They are Lindsay Sharkey and current SAD 44 directors Mark Shraiberg and Tim Akers. Merrow said others may pick up nomination papers at the Town Office. They must be returned by Jan. 7.
A special election to choose Andover School Committee members will be held in late January.
Merrow also said that an article on the warrant at the annual town meeting in March will ask residents to expand the already approved three-person school committee to five members. Everything is contingent on residents voting to withdraw from SAD 44.
The more than two-year effort to withdraw was spurred by the SAD 44 board voting to close Andover Elementary School in 2011 to save money. About 35 children in grades kindergarten through five attend that school. Most of the older children attend Telstar Regional Middle/High School.
Soon after the SAD 44 board’s closure vote, Andover residents voted to raise $214,000 over and above the town’s school tax liability to keep the school open. They also voted to raise an additional $68,000 in 2012 to ensure that it would remain open for that school year.
A complete timeline of actions taken by the Andover Withdrawal Committee may be found at the group’s website: www.andovers4kids.com.
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