DURHAM – Residents on Tuesday overwhelmingly defeated a proposal to form a community school district with Lisbon. The vote was 620-237.

Lisbon favored the measure, 264-134. Both towns had to approve the proposal in order for it to proceed.

Two other questions related to forming a community school district, a cost-sharing formula and governing structure – were also defeated in Durham: 586-260 and 595-252, respectively.

Lisbon approved those questions 275-122 and 259-138, respectively.

In Durham, the formation of a community school district would have ended school choice, a situation that many parents opposed. The measure would have opened the way for a new high school to be built and shared by the two towns.

Durham School Committee Chairwoman Jane Blais, a strong supporter of the proposal, said she accepted the people’s choice.

“It was a good turnout, I’m very pleased with it,” she said. “Clearly, clearly, we now know what the town wants and will now pursue a contract with Brunswick.”

Brunswick has offered a five-year contract with a “rollover” clause to extend it one year at a time up to five years.

Lisbon School Committee Chairman Harold Moran said he was disappointed.

“They turned us down for the wrong reasons,” he said.

He said he expects that officials from the state Department of Education will “probably be down to visit Lisbon High School within a week, now that the election is over.”

Lisbon will now proceed with plans to file an application for construction funding, which could cover a new school or renovations. However, if a new school is built, it will be large enough for Lisbon students only, effectively closing the door to Durham students.

The total vote cast in Lisbon was 400, including 12 absentee ballots, out of 6,683 registered voters.

In Durham, the total vote cast was 858, including 85 absentee ballots, out of a total of 3,340 registered voters.