FREEPORT – The Freeport Town Council this week was scheduled to set a Tuesday, Dec. 17, date for a special town election to vote on whether to officially begin the withdrawal process from Regional School Unit 5.

In addition, a public hearing on the potential withdrawal has been scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers at the Freeport Town Hall.

If approved by voters, the council must then appoint a withdrawal committee to create a draft plan for the creation of a stand-alone school district.

The vote was triggered after Moving Freeport Forward, a group of residents advocating for the withdrawal of the town from RSU 5, presented Freeport Town Clerk Tracey Stevens with a petition signed by 449 Freeport residents, representing 10 percent of the number of voters from the last gubernatorial election.

During the Town Council’s meeting Tuesday, Oct. 29, after the Tri-Town Weekly’s deadline, consultant Charles Lawton, who was hired by the town in July to study the cost and consequences of withdrawing from the school district Freeport shares with Durham and Pownal, is expected to provide an updated analysis. Lawton, along with longtime Maine education consultant Jack Turcotte, came under considerable scrutiny for what the council deemed insufficient data for what the true cost of a stand-alone Freeport district would be. According to information posted by Freeport Town Manager Peter Joseph on the town’s website, Freeport would be looking at raising an additional $1.4 million for a Freeport-only school district, not $4 million as initially reported by Lawton and Turcotte during an Oct. 1 council meeting.

Charly Haverly, a spokeswoman for Moving Freeport Forward, said the group intends to ask the council to initiate a citizen-driven data review to further determine what the cost of a stand-alone district would be.

“We think there are more things to examine,” said Haverly. “For example, the school has switched from oil to natural gas to heat the buildings since 2009 (the last year Freeport was a solo district). An analysis of the cost savings might be instructive.”

The process of withdrawing from an RSU involves a 22-step procedure, as per the state rules governing the school consolidation system.

In 2012, Durham residents voted nearly 3-1 to remain in RSU 5 after exploring the possibility of withdrawing.

Haversat and Moving Freeport Forward member Jerry Antl both supported the creation of RSU 5 four years ago, but said an anticipated cost savings has never materialized, In addition, towns were threatened with hefty fines for not participating. According to the Maine Municipal Association, the administration of Gov. Paul LePage has removed financial penalties that had been imposed by previous Gov. John Baldacci, a champion of school consolidation.

The school reorganization law as passed in 2007 required all school districts with less than 2,500 students to enter into consolidation talks with their neighbors. Certain “cost saving” measures were also mandated. Those who didn’t consolidate were threatened with losing either their state subsidy or receive a 50 percent reduction in state aid for special education. The plan was expected to save tens of millions of dollars in state and local taxes.

For Antl, the time for withdrawal is now. He feels the dialogue surrounding the debate will benefit everyone.

“This is a chance to really explore our options,” said Antl. “This is about drawing the three towns closer together rather than further apart.”

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