Residents of Lisbon and Durham will vote simultaneously by secret ballot Tuesday on whether or not they wish to form a community school district, to be known as the “Durham-Lisbon Community School District.”

The vote is expected to be one of the most controversial decisions Durham voters have faced in recent memory, while in Lisbon the proposal has had little opposition.

A CSD, recommended by school committees in both communities, would allow the two towns to join together to build a jointly-owned high school for grades 9-12.

If approved by both towns at their respective polling places, it would signal the end of school choice for high schoolers in Durham and all Durham students would have to attend the new school, which could be located in either town, depending on the availability of a suitable site approved by the state.

If the new high school is completed, all Durham students enrolled as town-paid tuition students in other towns will be required to attend the Durham-Lisbon school, and the town will no longer pay tuition to other schools.

Durham students attending other high schools will not be “grandfathered,” meaning they must transfer to the new school once it opens. This has met with some resistance from Durham parents for two reasons: They want their children to be able to finish school where they began, while others favor continuing the current “school choice” option, now that Brunswick is willing to enter a contract for Durham’s students. Still others, who send their children to private non-religious schools, like the idea that the town now picks up a significant portion of their tuition bill.

Complicating the vote on Tuesday is a recent proposal from Brunswick to enter a contract for a minimum of 80 percent of Durham high schoolers, something they had not offered in the past. Currently, 83 percent of Durham students attend Brunswick and many residents say they would prefer to contract with Brunswick. Over the years, the town has approached several towns, including Brunswick, about contracting, but no towns were interested.

Proponents of the CSD warn that if Durham votes against it, Lisbon will go ahead with its own application to the State Department of Education to build a new high school large enough for Lisbon students only, which would effectively close the door on Durham’s chances to have joint ownership of their own school.

If the CSD fails to get approval, the Durham School Committee has indicated it would pursue a contract with Brunswick and that the question would go before voters at the 2005 town meeting.

Tuesday’s vote consists of three articles: naming the CSD the Durham-Lisbon Community School District; a cost-sharing plan to have each town pay its share of the costs of education and to calculate costs as determined by state law; and to designate the Lisbon-Durham CSD School Committee perform the duties of the Board of Trustees. A name for the new school itself would be determined at a later date.

The polls in Durham will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Durham Elementary School gymnasium. Absentee ballots may be obtained from the town clerk and are due back prior the closing of polls Tuesday.

The polls will be open in Lisbon from 7 a.m. through 8 p.m. at the town office for Ward I, and at MTM gym in Ward II. A moderator will be elected at 6:30 a.m. Absentee ballots may be obtained from the town clerk.

Residents in both towns may register to vote during polling hours on Tuesday.