BETHEL — The SAD 44 board approved a few minor wording changes to the agreement between the district and the Andover Withdrawal Committee on Tuesday.

Superintendent David Murphy said the state Department of Education amended the document. The modifications primarily deal with changing the July 1, 2013, effective date of withdrawal to July 1, 2014, and reducing the debt for which Andover would be responsible to $137,000, plus interest, from just over $148,000.

Also, the state wants a permanent school committee elected in Andover as soon as possible rather than appointment of the withdrawal committee members on an interim basis.

Other changes include an addition of two employees at Andover Elementary School and an exhibit in the document.

Susan Merrow, chairwoman of the withdrawal committee and a town selectman, said in an email that the committee has not yet reviewed the state’s changes. She said the state has not set a public hearing date or a referendum date for the town’s final vote on withdrawal.

The vote is expected to be before December. If approved, Andover would become the New Andover School Administrative Unit on July 1, 2014.

The SAD 44 board voted two years ago to close Andover Elementary School because of its declining enrollment and the cost of operating the the nearly 100-year-old building. The school has about 30 pupils in grades kindergarten to five.

The town paid $214,000, in addition to its share of SAD 44 operating costs of about $400,000, to keep it open in 2011-12. It paid $68,000 in addition to the current year’s share to keep it open in 2012-13.

Last year, Andover residents voted to begin the withdrawal process and raised $24,000 for the Andover Withdrawal Committee.

Merrow previously said that retaining the school was crucial to the economic and social health of the town, and the committee is working to ensure that Andover students receive a high-quality education.

SAD 44 also includes Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock.

In other matters at Tuesday’s board meeting, Bethel representative Roberta Taylor was elected to be the voting delegate from SAD 44 for the Maine School Management Association conference on Oct. 24 and 25. Tim Carter of Bethel was elected as alternate. Frank Del Duca, also of Bethel, also indicated he will attend the conference.

Most of Tuesday’s meeting at Woodstock Elementary School was devoted to a board orientation from Maine School Management Association Executive Director Cornelia Brown.

Murphy said the duties of board members, as well as responsibilities, were described. A subcommittee of the board will decide whether additional services from the Maine School Management Association are wanted or needed at a later date.

Murphy said the Maine School Management Association has assisted the SAD 44 board with policy updates and legal matters in the past.

Woodstock Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Tonya Prentice described the science, technology, engineering and mathematics instruction she received as part of the Teaching Academy conference she attended in New Jersey this past summer. She was one of 200 teachers chosen nationwide to attend the seminar.

The board will meet again Nov. 12.

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