BUCKFIELD — The Select Board has agreed to establish an ad hoc committee to explore the feasibility of leaving Regional School Unit 10 in Rumford and reestablishing its school district with Hartford and Sumner.

The committee would include Hartford and Sumner residents.

The three towns once formed Maine School Administrative District 39, before their consolidation with Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury and Hanover in 2009.

“Several community members have come to me, and I’m aware of other discussions taking place,” Selectman Sandra Fickett said. “A lot of people wanting to come together and explore options for our schools, our school system. Getting more information on cost of operations, to see whether or not it would be feasible or a good idea to consider removing our schools from the RSU.”

Fickett added that she fully supports people gathering information.

“It’s a wise thing to at least explore the potential to see if the cost of what we’re paying RSU 10 for Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner, and what is the dollar amount coming back to the schools,” resident Neal Austin said. “If it is lopsided one way or the other, or even, but figure out the cost to get on our own to see if it is financially feasible and if the towns will save more money.”

One advantage in having their own school system, he said, is giving residents more local control.

All three towns would need to participate to reestablish the former district. Austin said he thinks “it would all fall apart” if any of the towns were not interested.

“This question keeps coming up,” Selectman Azalea Cormier said.

The board unanimously passed Fickett’s motion to form the committee for fact-gathering only. If the committee discovers that such a move would save the towns money, they would need to follow state law to form a district.