ANDOVER — Residents approved the reinstatement of a referendum vote on the school budget by 123-57 on March 5 at Town Hall, as posted on the town’s social media page.

This means that the town will have a referendum vote for the overall Andover School budget amount this spring and that on a date before the referendum vote, the town will also hold an informational meeting to discuss and vote on the school budget.

School board Director Pete Coolidge added information from the law for the referendum process in a message on the town’s social media page, stating, “Following development of the annual regional school unit budget and approval at a regional school unit budget meeting as provided … a referendum must be held in the regional school unit as provided in this section to allow the voters to validate or reject the total budget adopted at the regional school unit budget meeting.

Every three years, the voters in a regional school unit shall consider continued use of the budget validation referendum process. The warrant at the budget validation referendum in the third year following adoption or continuation of the referendum process must include an article by which the voters of the school administrative unit may indicate whether they wish to continue the process for another 3 years.”

Andover Elementary School includes grades prekindergarten through grade 5. Middle and high school students may attend Regional School Unit 10 schools based in Rumford or Regional School Unit 44 schools based in Bethel.