SUMNER — More than 100 signatures have been gathered for a petition seeking the town’s withdrawal from RSU 10, resident Jeff Pfeifer said at Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting.

As of Wednesday morning, however, only 42 signatures had been turned in to the town office and validated, fewer than the 49 needed to initiate the withdrawal process, according to Town Clerk Susan Runes.

Pfeifer is a member of the Save Our Schools, a group of residents who have been circulating a petition since March to withdraw from the 12-town district and possibly re-establish SAD 39, which included Sumner, Hartford and Buckfield.

Supporters of withdrawal have said that the cost per student is too high in an RSU and education is no better than in smaller school districts that spend less on education.

Some residents of Sumner and nearby Buckfield, where an RSU 10 withdrawal petition was accepted by selectmen in March, say the intent of withdrawal is to improve the quality of education and reduce costs.

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

Board member Kelly Stewart asked Pfeifer whether the group had come up with a list of pros and cons of withdrawing from the district, as requested at a past meeting.

Pfeifer said the group has been busy circulating the petition, but would see that Stewart’s questions get answered.

“There are a lot of questions,” Pfeifer acknowledged. “If someone can show it’s a bad idea to withdraw, I will vote against withdrawal; but we think this is the best way to get the debate going.”

Stewart said once all signatures are validated, they will be presented to the Board of Selectmen at a future meeting for approval. The board will then need to schedule a public hearing before holding a possible referendum vote.

Selectmen discussed the possibility of delaying a secret ballot vote on withdrawal from RSU 10 until the November election in order to save the town the expense of a separate vote, which requires the polls being open all day.

On Wednesday, Pfeifer said he was concerned that delaying the vote until November could result in the final vote occurring after Jan. 1, 2015.

According to reports, it takes a year or more to complete the 22-step withdrawal process.

If the vote is yes, the process, which includes appointing a withdrawal committee and appropriating funds to cover legal and other costs, moves forward.

On Tuesday, Pfeifer said that gathering more than the 49 required signatures might inspire Hartford to initiate its own withdrawal process.

He said when and if Sumner voters begin the process, selectmen would need to appoint a withdrawal committee, including one member from Save Our Schools.

“In our opinion, anyone who signs the petition in Sumner is eligible for that position,” Pfeifer explained.

Before the meeting, Pfeifer said he collected about 30 signatures during a recent visit to the town’s transfer station. “People were practically pulling the clipboard out of my hands,” he said.

“We’re just a group of concerned citizens,” he said.

“It’s a divorce,” Pfeifer said of the withdrawal process. “Hopefully it will be amicable, and … we will get everything we need to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”