Maine’s commissioner of education has given conditional approval to an agreement between the Freeport Withdrawal Committee and the Regional School Unit 5 Working Group, a Department of Education official said Thursday.

Paula Gravelle, school finance director for the department, said that Commissioner Jim Rier approved the agreement as it was presented to him on Wednesday, and she was just waiting for his signature in order to mail it to the Withdrawal Committee and to RSU 5. The Withdrawal Committee agreed to and sent the document to Rier last Thursday, the day after the full school board ratified it.

Ginny McManus, assistant to the superintendent for RSU 5, said Friday that a public hearing, in which residents of all three towns can discuss the withdrawal agreement, is set for Aug. 26. The school board will schedule a meeting for sometime during the week of Aug. 11-15, to set a time and place for the public hearing, McManus said.

Rier’s approval means a Freeport vote on withdrawal from RSU 5 can take place on Nov. 4, said Peter Murray, chairman of the Withdrawal Committee. The two committees have been negotiating Freeport’s withdrawal from RSU 5 throughout the year.

Peter Murray, chairman of the Withdrawal Committee, was pleased to hear Thursday’s news.

“It’s been quite a process,” said Murray. “I’m happy that Freeport’s going to have a chance to vote on this in November.”