• Andover voted 217 to 123 Tuesday to restart its school withdrawal process.

    The referendum was in response to a petition for a vote to restart the earlier process that ended last month with a vote (238-131) that fell just shy of the 2/3 majority needed to leave SAD 44.

    Selectman Susan Merrow said Tuesday night that at the next selectboard meeting on April 1, the board will likely choose people to recommend to SAD 44 as members of the town Withdrawal Committee. SAD 44 has 30 days to send its School Board chairman to Andover to appoint the committee, she said.
    “The plan will be for our committee to approve the [earlier] withdrawal agreement right away, since it was already approved by everyone, and hand it over to SAD 44,” said Merrow. “It was drafted by [the SAD 44] legal team, so I hope there aren’t any problems with it.”
    Other town officials said recently the most likely timeframe for a vote on actually withdrawing is this fall.

    Last Saturday residents voted at Town Meeting to pay an extra $180,000 on top of the town’s regular share of the SAD 44 budget in order to keep the Andover Elementary School open another year. (See related story).

    Adler elected

    In town elections, Jim Adler defeated Brian Mills 188-149 for the seat previously held by Merrow, who did not run again.

    Tim Akers, running unopposed, was re-elected to the SAD 44 School Board.

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