SUMNER — A second public hearing on the town’s possible withdrawal from RSU 10 will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Town Office complex.

In June, organizers submitted a petition to selectmen to put the town’s withdrawal from the 12-town school district on the Nov. 5 ballot.

If the measure is approved, the town is required to set up a withdrawal committee to negotiate an agreement with the district.

Petitioners argue the cost of education in RSU 10 is too high and the quality of education has not met expectations set when the town, along with neighboring Buckfield and Hartford, joined the district in 2008.

The few residents who attended the first public hearing last month questioned petitioners’ assertions and asked for data from the district to see how the cost and quality of education has changed since the town joined the district.

Residents of Buckfield voted to withdraw from RSU 10 in June and the town’s Withdrawal Committee has been meeting for the past month and a half.

According to Ruth Hadley, Sumner’s administrative assistant, material, including financial statistics, testing data and a DVD of a Buckfield Withdrawal Committee meeting is available at the Town Office for residents. 

RSU 10 Superintendent Craig King is expected to attend the hearing to answer questions, Hadley said. 

Selectmen Chairwoman Mary Ann Haxton said she heard from more residents about the possible withdrawal since the sparsely-attended public hearing last month. She expects more people will attend Tuesday’s public hearing and hoped voters were gathering as much information about the issue as possible before heading to the polls Nov. 5.

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

pmcguire@sunjournal.com