After more than four decades of discussions and false starts, the merger of three school districts in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands is finally underway.
Residents of both boroughs voted decisively to regionalize the three districts 鈥 one for Atlantic Highlands elementary school students, one for Highlands elementary school students, and the Henry Hudson district for students from both towns in grades 7-12 鈥 during a special election Sept. 26.
With all election day votes and mail-in ballots received by election day counted, the overall vote tally was 976 to 539, nearly a 30% win for regionalization. In each of the eight voting wards 鈥 four in each borough 鈥 the measure passed handily. The only votes left to be counted are from election day drop boxes, provisional ballots and late mail-in ballots, which are unlikely to change the result.
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