Voters in 13 of 16 towns Tuesday rejected a plan to merge two major school districts in Franklin County by an unofficial vote of 7,215 to 5,047.

It would have taken a majority of voters in each district, SAD 9 in the Farmington area and SAD 58 in the Kingfield area, to approve the proposal. The plan also included two unorganized territories, Coplin and Highland plantations.

The new regional school unit was to be called the Western Mountains Regional School District serving 3,200 students from the towns of Avon, Coplin Plantation, Chesterville, Eustis/Stratton, Farmington, Highland Plantation, Industry, Kingfield, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Phillips, Strong, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.

Seventy-eight percent of SAD 9 voters rejected the merger, with only two of the nine towns – Chesterville and Vienna – voting to approve it.

SAD 58 voters rejected the plan by a nearly 3 to 1 margin. Highland Plantation voters approved the plan by six votes and Coplin Plantation voted against it, 56-11.

SAD 9 Superintendent Michael Cormier said Wednesday he had submitted a letter of intent to the Maine Department of Education to ask permission for the district to stand alone with nearly 2,400 students.

SAD 9 school directors had authorized Cormier to do it at their Oct. 28 meeting, if the proposal was rejected.

SAD 58 Superintendent Quenten Clark and School Board Chairman Mike Pond were not immediately available for comment Wednesday. Clark had previously said the board would review its options, if it the proposal failed.

Both school districts’ boards voted not to support the proposal prior to the public vote.

“We will follow SAD 58 and go back to the planning stages,” Coplin Plantation Superintendent Lorrie Arruda said.

Students in that district are tuitioned to SAD 58. Highland Plantation tuitions students to SAD 58 and SAD 74 in the Anson area and would continue to do so, Superintendent Brenda Stevens said.