DIXFIELD — The Dixfield Withdrawal Committee will meet for the first time at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, at the RSU 10 Central Office on Nash Street.

According to state law, the initial meeting is to elect a chairperson. From there, ad hoc subcommittees may be set up to begin research on the requirements if the town does eventually decide to withdraw. These requirements include how education will be provided, the costs involved and negotiating points.

The committee is comprised of RSU 10 Dixfield board member Bruce Ross, Dixfield Selectman Bob Withrow, withdrawal petition initiator Jon Holmes, and community member Todd Blodgett.

Superintendent Tom Ward and members of the public are invited to attend all committee meetings.

Dixfield residents voted 695-543 on Nov. 6 to begin the withdrawal process.

The effort began more than six months ago when Ward tentatively proposed merging Dirigo High School in Dixfield with neighboring Mountain Valley High School in Rumford to save the district money.

Due to opposition to that plan from hundreds of residents, Ward has proposed to look for other ways to save money.

He said RSU 10 has saved $2.6 million by eliminating positions since the merger of SADs 21, 39 and 43 in 2009.

Member towns of Regional School Unit 10 are Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru, Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Byron, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Hanover.

A letter written last month by Dixfield Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky to the state Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen and Superintendent Ward said he believes there’s a desire to return to the former SAD 21.