The tone of the Andover School District Meeting was quickly set by the Cub scouts and Daisy Girl Scouts leading the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Andover Elementary/Middle School (AE/MS) Eagle Code. This reminded all that the United States is a great place to live, and AE/MS is the best place to start a life of learning how to make oneself, each other, and the world a better place for all.

First-time moderator Betsy Paine, the School Board, AE/MS administrators, and SAU 46 staff were well prepared to answer all questions of the voters. Many of the questions were even better addressed by the voters themselves. These presentations added much valued information in the true purpose of School District Meeting.

Voters supported recommendations of the School Board by overwhelming approval of the budget proposed by the School Board and all articles. Consistent with the Long Range Plan, voters supported:

• Full-day kindergarten

• Three-year teachers contract

• Replacement of Reading Specialist position that had been cut three years ago

• An additional fourth grade teacher to accommodate increased student population

We are thankful to all who attended and participated. We always wish more could have been a part of this meeting to hear the presentations from fellow citizens of Andover and witness the courtesy and thoughtfulness of the voters. The meeting was taped and can be viewed on the Town’s Web page at Andover.NH.us.

The Merrimack Valley (MV) School District annual meeting followed two days later. At this meeting, the budget proposed by the MV School Board was approved, following much discussion, and all other articles were passed without debate. The International Baccalaureate program and other advanced projects will continue to enhance the public high school education of Andover students. This has been instrumental in curriculum improvement and provided a head-start toward meeting the Common Core Standards.

Andover Town Meeting and elections the following week provided another term for School Board member Charles McCrave, School District Moderator Betsy Paine, School District Clerk Christie Coll, and School District Treasurer Shirley Currier. Anne Swayze was elected to fill the School Board seat left vacant by Katie Keyser.

The School Board recognizes the contributions of Katie Keyser upon her leaving. Her selfless sacrifice of time and provision of thoughtful and innovative contributions served our students and community very well indeed.

Many thanks for the support and informational assistance of the voters of Andover. Don’t forget that our School Board meetings are on the first Tuesday of each month, except July. The April 2 meeting will feature a technology status report at 7 PM.

It takes a strong community to build strong schools to educate children to meet the ever-increasing challenges of their, and our, new world.