STOCKTON SPRINGS - Voters on Tuesday passed a measure to seek withdrawal from Regional School Unit 20. With the approval, Stockton Springs joins the district’s seven other municipalities, each of which has previously approved an initial vote on withdrawal.

Of the 274 resident who voted, 246 favored starting the withdrawal process, 28 were opposed. The nearly nine-to-one split was significantly wider than the three-to-one margins registered in most other towns. 

Town manager Richard Couch, in an email Tuesday night, said the Select Board would move forward with the process, which is largely governed by state statute.

All towns seeking withdrawal must form a committee that includes municipal government, school district and citizen representatives. The group is charged with drafting a withdrawal plan that must be approved by the RSU 20 board of directors and Maine Department of Education. Final approval is subject to a validation referendum by voters in the town.

Ethan Andrews can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com