KINGFIELD — Residents at Thursday night’s meeting on leaving Regional School Unit 58 agreed that much more information is needed before a public hearing scheduled for Monday, July 6.

A formal vote is set for Thursday, July 16. If voters approve withdrawing from the district, selectmen will appoint a committee to begin investigating options for educating students.

“Let’s get the conversation started,” Tammy Goldfrank told the audience. The vote is just the first step, she said, and residents can stop the process at any time. The proposal to withdraw is not new, but maybe now is the time to explore it further, she suggested.

Resident and former Selectman Neal McCurdy said when Eustis pulled out of the district, those residents expected they still would be able to send their students to Mt. Abram High School.

“If Kingfield pulls out, the district might not be able to survive,” he said.

Besides Kingfield, the district includes Avon, Phillips and Strong.

Former Mt. Abram High School mathematics teacher Brian Twitchell asked whether voters want only an elementary school or if they also would support high school grades.

Kingfield resident and Strong Elementary School teacher Crystal Polk said the school board’s lack of leadership has “done a lot of damage” to the district, and she hoped residents will allow incoming Superintendent Susan Pratt ample time to move the district in a more positive direction before making a decision.

Formal withdrawal will require 22 steps, and the process will take at least a year to complete, meaning little will change during the coming school year.

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