KINGFIELD — Eustis taxpayers gave formal support this week to start the process of withdrawing from SAD 58.

Alan Burnell, speaking for the local Save Our School Committee, told school board members at their meeting Thursday night that the goal is to have the shared assets, liabilities and finances divided and approved by the Maine Department of Education by September 2013.

“Voters had to approve this by secret ballot,” he said. A total of 341 people agreed to start the process; 43 said no.

Although Eustis residents have been meeting for more than a year, the Department of Education required the vote to be part of Tuesday’s referendum.

Burnell said SAD 58 board Chairwoman Judy Dill would meet with the four-member committee. Selectman Jane Wilkinson, Alan Burnell, Ryan Wilkinson, and one of the town’s two board members, Sue Fotter or Sarah Strunk, will meet to complete the paperwork and submit a plan to the Department of Education. The process isn’t easy or speedy, Burnell said.

“I’m not expecting an instant response from Augusta,” he said.

Taxpayers may have to pay more to support Stratton Elementary School. Teachers have contracts, and the district has paid transportation and maintenance costs.

The school has 80 students in grades K-8 from Eustis (45), Carrabassett Valley (19), Coplin Plantation (14), Kingfield (1) and Wyman Township (1).

When the school board begins its annual review of the budget, Superintendent Brenda Stevens will have to guide the board through planning with and without Stratton Elementary School.

“The Department of Education is pretty intent on having a paper trail,” Burnell said.

The committee will hire Mark Eastman, retired superintendent for the Oxford Hills School District, to guide them through the process. It will require many meetings and many hours of work, Burnell said, and even then, the withdrawal is not guaranteed. Voters would have to approve the final budget, including plans for staffing salaries, benefits and duties.