Andover schools Superintendent Leanne Condon said the projected education budget for all Andover students for the year is $1.8 million.

Of that amount, $1.3 million is allocated to Andover Elementary School, which serves 21 students and employs 10 staff members.

Condon presented the department’s financial report for July 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, along with the upcoming budget timeline, to the Andover Select Board on Jan. 27 at the Town Hall.

She urged the board to remind voters that the school budget supports all 67 students in the district, not just those attending Andover Elementary School. There are 46 middle and high school students attending Regional School Unit 10 based in Rumford and School Administrative District 44 based in Bethel.

The RSU 10 middle and high school tuition for half the year totals $122,210, while Andover will pay $111,344 to SAD 44, for a combined cost of $233,544. Based on a projected full-year tuition total of about $485,000, the remaining $1.3 million of the overall $1.8 million budget is designated for Andover Elementary School.

Condon cautioned the board that second-half tuition projections from SAD 44 and RSU 10 have not yet been received.

Turning to enrollment efforts, Condon discussed the school’s recent homesteading initiative.

“This is a very unique concept,” she said. “There is a real draw for this, if we can get the word out. That’s how we are hoping to draw more students.”

Board member Justin Thacker asked why some families choose not to enroll their children at Andover Elementary School.

Condon said transportation is the most common concern she hears. She noted the school provides early- and after-school staffing.

Select Board Secretary Sue Mills asked whether student attendance was expected to rise or fall.

Condon said she anticipates enrollment remaining steady. She added that outreach for preschool enrollment would begin in March.

Addressing additional needs at the school, Condon acknowledged, “Our website is woefully out of date.” She also said the school’s nutrition program would require an additional $10,000, increasing the budget from $40,000 to $50,000.

Condon reported that transportation, buses, facilities and maintenance are on target. Additionally, she said $131,000 of the budget is allocated for building repairs.

“This is my fourth year. This is the most sound the building has been. We just redid the lights in the gym,” she said.

Thacker said that 10% of the overall budget going toward building maintenance was reasonable.

“These old buildings will last forever. As we learned in Mexico, that building was only 40 years old and it’s no longer there,” Thacker said.

During the discussion, Mills asked whether the school’s payroll position could be combined with the town’s open payroll position to save money.

Condon opposed the idea, saying payroll was a specialized role, but suggested an accounting position might be shared instead.

Condon will present the approved Town Meeting warrant articles May 5 at 6 p.m. at Andover Town Hall.