Kingfield residents will decide Thursday whether officially to begin exploring leaving School Administrative District 58.

If residents vote to leave, the Maine Department of Education would instruct the town’s selectmen to form a committee to study the costs and logistics involved in leaving.

A residents’ petition was filed with the town, and an informational meeting was held June 25 and a public hearing on July 6 to discuss options for the town and what a break from the district would involve.

In an ongoing feud between the Mount Abram Teachers Association and the school board, the board’s proposed $9.4 million budget was pared to $265,000 at the budget ratification meeting, but it didn’t pass in the referendum in Kingfield, Phillips, Strong and Avon, the district’s four towns.

The $9.4 million budget again was proposed and accepted by voters in the four towns June 29 by referendum. However, passing a budget did not dissuade Kingfield residents from looking further into backing out of the district.

The vote Thursday is the second step in a 22-step process overseen by the Maine Department of Education, and its purpose is only to establish a requisite withdrawal committee and secure funding for legal and consultative fees associated with the withdrawal process.

With the approval of the Maine Department of Education, the process then can be put to a final vote. The entire timeline for the process is six months to one year.

Douglas McIntire — 861-9252

dmcintire@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @CD_McIntire