BETHEL — The SAD 44 board Monday accepted $140,000 from the town of Andover to keep that town’s small school open for 2013-14.
The vote was 15-0 with Bethel representative Lynn Arizzi abstaining.
The board voted to take no action on an agenda item calling for a vote on whether to close the school at the end of the current school year, Superintendent David Murphy said in an email.
The $140,000 is in addition to the town’s assessment of between $400,000 to $450,000 annually to SAD 44.
In March, Andover residents approved raising an additional $68,000 to keep the school open but it was rejected by the school board. Last week, voters raised another $72,000, which the district had requested.
The school board voted two years ago to close the Andover Elementary School, which educates about 30 children in grades kindergarten to five, to save money. The town raised an additional $214,000 to keep it open in for 2011-12; and an additional $68,000 to keep it open for 2012-13.
The town also voted to form the Andover Withdrawal Committee, which is continuing negotiations with SAD 44 to leave the district. A meeting of the committee, school board and their attorneys is scheduled for later this week.
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