DIXFIELD — The Dixfield Withdrawal Committee met in closed session Thursday night to discuss its counterproposal to RSU 10 but when it will be made public is uncertain.

The 90-minute session included a conference call with the committee’s attorney, Dan Stockford, of Brann Isaacson of Lewiston.

RSU 10 made a proposal that would guarantee certain rights to the town and would stop the withdrawal process, if both sides agree.

Dixfield residents voted last year to establish a withdrawal committee soon after Superintendent Tom Ward suggested the district could save money if Dirigo High School in Dixfield and Mountain Valley High Schools in Rumford consolidated.

Dixfield voted to raise up to $50,000 for the withdrawal process.

Committee Chairman Bob Withrow said Thursday night that the counterproposal would be sent by Stockford to RSU 10 lawyers Bill Stockmeyer and Dick Spencer of Drummond and Woodsum in Portland.

Tom Ward said the results of the committee’s discussion Thursday would be brought before the RSU 10 board at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 25, at Dirigo Elementary School in Peru.

Committee member and school director Bruce Ross said after Thursday’s meeting that if lawyers for both sides are unable to discuss the counterproposal in time for Monday’s meeting it could be brought to the RSU 10 Facilities Committee meeting April 2.

If the school district and the Withdrawal Committee come to an agreement, Withrow said an article asking Dixfield residents to disband the committee will go before voters at the annual town meeting in late May, or at referendum in June.

RSU 10 towns are Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru, Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Byron, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Hanover.

RSU 10’s proposal calls for:

* Developing a 10-year capital plan for Dirigo High School in Dixfield, and all other RSU 10 schools, by region. RSU 10 towns are Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru, Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Byron, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Hanover.

* Providing secondary educational and co-curricular program opportunities that are virtually equivalent in all RSU 10 schools;

* Providing technology for remote learning opportunities and other joint or shared instruction; and

* Keeping Dirigo High School open.

The decision to keep the school open would be reassessed if:

* Student enrollment for grades nine-12 drops below 200;

* The State Board of Education approves a replacement school to serve all high school students in RSU 10, with debt service qualifying for state subsidy;

* The school has been substantially destroyed by fire or other hazard, or is determined to be unusable for health or safety reasons;

* There is a substantial change in state funding for education;

* RSU 10 is reorganized; and

* Dixfield votes to establish a withdrawal committee or otherwise votes to pursue reorganization as, or as part of, a separate school administrative unit from RSU 10.

In the case of student enrollment dropping below 200 at Dirigo or Mountain Valley high schools, RSU 10 will make reasonable efforts to consolidate the middle and high schools to keep both high schools open.

The agreement is contingent upon a positive vote in Dixfield, and rescinding the town’s prior vote to petition to establish and fund a withdrawal committee.

Also, RSU10 must give at least two years notice to the affected towns before initiating closure of a high school. Closing any school is also subject to a local referendum.

The Withdrawal Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 28, but the location has not been decided. Members include Withrow, Ross, Todd Blodgett and Jon Holmes.