Much work needs to be done in Durham to organize a procedure of withdrawal from Regional School Unit 5. But a rudimentary element is in place – the Board of Selectmen has decided that residents won’t vote on a withdrawal proposal until municipal elections on April 1, 2016.

Durham is considering withdrawal from RSU 5 – which also includes Freeport and Pownal – for the second time in three years, after a petition displayed at the checkout counter of the Durham Get & Go was submitted to the town clerk earlier this month. Store owner Donna Church, who denies starting the petition, was the first to sign, on Aug. 19. The last signature was submitted on Oct. 5.

Residents decided against withdrawal negotiations the first time around, due to the estimated cost of more than $1 million.

Town Clerk Shannon Plourde said Monday that she recounted the petition signatures for a second time, and there are 238 valid ones on the petition. A total of 214 were needed to move the process forward.

RSU 5, meanwhile, has regrouped following a withdrawal effort in Freeport, which failed a year ago. Residents of the district – despite no votes in Durham and Pownal – passed a 7.8 percent budget increase this past summer, in hopes of boosting the level of education offered to students. Voters also have signed off on a $14.6 million renovation of Freeport High School, a financial obligation that would be shared by all three towns, withdrawal or no withdrawal.

Michelle Ritcheson of Durham, chairwoman of the RSU 5 board, and Durham Budget Committee member Kevin Nadeau both asked selectmen Oct. 20 for an expedited public vote, rather than waiting until April. Nadeau urged “sooner rather than later” on the vote in the interest of “soothing angst” in the RSU 5 community.

“It’s in the best interest of the town to have this answered as soon as possible,” Nadeau said.

Selectmen must schedule a public hearing on withdrawal at least 10 days prior to the vote. The cost of a special election is approximately $1,000. Jeff Wakeman, chairman of the selectmen, left open the possibility that a special town meeting could be called for a different reason, so that the withdrawal question could be included on that warrant.

Selectman Mark Blake said he has spoken with people who would prefer to decide about withdrawal during town elections, and Selectman Michael Stewart, who signed the petition, agreed.

Ritcheson disagreed.

“My thought on it is the sooner the better,” she said.

Ritcheson added that the threat of withdrawal “throws a wrench around the school board,” and can affect programming.

Selectwoman Sarah Hall responded that the board got the high school renovation bond passed while it was negotiating withdrawal with the Freeport Withdrawal Committee. Hall added that she hopes not to see the “nasty rhetoric” that took place during the year-long negotiations in Freeport.

Nadeau made one final observation.

“It’s so unfair to the kids to have this hanging over their heads again for another six months,” he said.

Selectmen then voted 5-0 to schedule the withdrawal vote on April 1, the day prior to the annual town meeting.

Meanwhile, committees must be formed representing both sides of the issue, and town officials need to determine how much it would cost to leave RSU 5.