A proposal to consolidate the school systems of SAD 9, SAD 58 and Coplin and Highland plantations was rejected in Farmington, Eustis and Wilton. They were the only three towns out of 16 communities reporting results late Tuesday on a proposal to create the Western Mountains Regional School District.

Other towns continued to count late into the night.

In SAD 9, Farmington rejected the proposal by a vote of 2,207-1,793 and Wilton by a vote of 1,379-1,173. In SAD 58, Eustis voters rejected the plan by a 202-155 vote.

The proposal to consolidate SAD 9, SAD 58 and Coplin and Highland plantations school systems into one school district is part of a statewide school reorganization to reduce education costs and increase efficiency.

If approved by towns in SAD 9 and SAD 58, and Coplin and Highland plantations the school system will serve about 3,200 students in the towns of Avon, Coplin Plantation, Chesterville, Eustis, Farmington, Highland Plantation, Industry, Kingfield, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Phillips, Strong, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.

The plan calls for a 25-member school board to oversee the new regional school unit. The board make-up is based on population, which gives Farmington seven members, Wilton four members and the remainder of the towns one each member.

A cost-sharing formula would be implemented that initially starts with valuation and then phases in a formula based on valuation and residential students over six years. There is also a cost-shift identified that indicates that the SAD 9 towns will pick up substantially more in additional local costs while SAD 58 towns’ shares would decrease.

The majority of school directors in SAD 9 and SAD 58 have voted not to support the plan but did vote to submit it to the state as required by law.

If the majority of voters approve the merger Nov. 4, then individual towns would vote to elect new school board members during the spring with an operational start for the new district July 1, 2009.

If the majority of voters don’t approve the proposal, then all school units would be assessed a penalty that is expected to grow each year. The estimated penalty for the year 2009-10 in SAD 9 would be approximately $408,000 and in SAD 58 approximately $125,000. Penalties for Coplin and Highland plantations are estimated at more than $2,000 each.

School boards in each school district would also need to look at options for their next step to comply with the state reorganization law.

SAD 9 directors have already authorized Superintendent Mike Cormier to file on behalf of the board to stand alone, the plan was rejected.