Freeport residents will return to the polls Dec. 17 to decide whether to officially begin the process of withdrawing from Regional School Unit 5.

In a special meeting Tuesday night, the Freeport Town Council voted unanimously to set the date and also earmarked $50,000 to cover the costs of the process if the measure passes.

The decision comes after Moving Freeport Forward, a residents’ group dedicated to removing Freeport from the school district it shares with Durham and Pownal, submitted petitions to the town with 416 signatures to trigger the vote. The petition is the first of a 22-step process for withdrawal as mandated by the state.

The council also scheduled a public hearing on the proposal for Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m., at the Town Council Chambers in the Town Hall.