Towns Approve School Merger Plan

Voters in three towns have approved a plan to merge four school districts in southern Hunterdon County.

The Times of Trenton reports that voters on Tuesday passed referendum questions that would create a merged school district and dissolve the South Hunterdon Regional High School district and elementary school districts in West Amwell, Stockton and Lambertville.

The vote in favor of merger was 1,462 to 227. They agreed to dissolve the regional high school district by a vote of 1,505 to 256 according to the newspaper.

The executive director of a nonprofit that promotes the economic benefits of consolidation applauded the vote. Gina Genovese of Courage to Connect New Jersey said in a statement that the residents are "pioneers who had the courage" to create positive change.

Lambertville Board of Education member Derek Roseman tells The Associated Press that the decision was "truly a historic vote" by people willing to endorse regionalism "knowing their future is better off together."

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