STARKS — Residents on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to join Mt. Blue Regional School District, 72-5, leaving one final hurdle before they are able to send their children to the Farmington-based school district.

Approval of the merger now falls to residents in the Mt. Blue school district towns, who will vote Tuesday on whether to accept Starks’ request to join them. If the merger is rejected, Starks would have to devise an alternative plan to educate their children in area school districts, according to the reorganization plan.

The town already has voted to secede from its Madison-based school district, leading it to pursue the merger that will be sent to voters in each of Mt. Blue’s communities: Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Temple, Weld and Wilton in Franklin County; and Vienna in Kennebec County.

Mt. Blue school district Superintendent Michael Cormier described the addition of Starks as a “win-win” scenario for the students and residents in each of the towns affected by the merger.

He called on Mt. Blue residents at a recent public hearing about the vote to approve the merger, saying it would provide financial and educational benefits to both communities. For example, Starks joining the school district is expected to add about $400,000 in revenue to the Mt. Blue budget proposal for the coming year, with that money helping to offset shortfalls in other revenue streams, he said.

The added revenue from Starks is based primarily on increased state subsidies because 50 to 60 new students would attend the school district. Current enrollment in the district is 2,329.

Of that added revenue, the school district would have to spend about $53,000 to add a bus and driver to transport the new students. Cormier said the added revenue from Starks helps the existing Mt. Blue communities which face a significant budget gap, requiring tough decisions on spending cuts.

Even with the added revenue from the merger, the proposed 2012-13 budget for Mt. Blue school district would increase the overall amount towns pay in school taxes by 4.3 percent, or $439,340.

Residents in Starks, however, would see the overall amount the town pays in school taxes drop $97,297 in the coming year, based on the Mt. Blue budget proposal that anticipates the merger moving forward.

Changes to the budget proposal will be discussed at upcoming meetings, with a validation vote expected May 24.

If the merger is approved, Starks selectmen will appoint an interim school board member to represent Starks on the Mt. Blue board until a permanent member can be elected.

If residents reject the merger, Starks will operate as a single municipal school unit until it is able to join or reorganize into another school district, the reorganization plan states.

Starks would establish its own school board and administrative services and try to place its students in surrounding districts, such as Mt. Blue, Skowhegan-based SAD 54, Anson-based SAD 74 and its former district, SAD 59, according to the plan.

Information about polling times and locations in each community for Tuesday’s vote is available by calling the Mt. Blue school district at 778-6571. Absentee ballots are available through the town offices.

David F. Robinson — 861-9287

[email protected]