Tunbridge — Two more towns have joined Royalton in setting dates for voters to reconsider a school district consolidation plan in the White River Valley Supervisory Union.

Under the plan, Royalton, Rochester and Bethel would merge into the pre-K through 12 White River Unified School District; Chelsea and Tunbridge would merge into the pre-K through 8 First Branch Unified School District; and Granville and Hancock would merge into the non-operating Granville-Hancock Unified School District.

The measure passed in six of the seven towns on April 11, but a 460-203 no vote in Royalton prevented the merger from taking effect.

Consolidation proponents in Royalton successfully petitioned the town for a revote, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 13.

Meanwhile, consolidation opponents in Rochester and Tunbridge also have successfully petitioned their towns for a revote.

In Rochester, which initially approved the measure, 213-178, the School Board has set a date of Tuesday, June 20, for a revote, according to Town Clerk Joanne McDonnell.

A no vote in either Rochester or Royalton would defeat the entire consolidation plan, and leave all seven school districts with the question of how to comply with Act 46, an education reform law that set new standards of quality, efficiency and equitability for districts across the state.

In Tunbridge, where voters initially approved the measure, 151-109, the Tunbridge School Board on Monday set a date of Thursday, June 29, for a revote, according to Town Clerk Betsy Sponable.

A no vote in Tunbridge would prevent the creation of a First Branch Unified School District with Chelsea, but would not affect the ability of the other five towns to move forward with their own merger plans.

Towns that don’t merge into state-approved plans by November will lose out on financial merger incentives offered under Act 46. They will also be reviewed by the state Board of Education, which has the authority to impose a consolidation plan on districts that it finds do not meet the standards established under the law.

Under the plan, students in sixth through eighth grades from Rochester, Bethel and Royalton would attend a middle school in Bethel, while high schoolers would come to Royalton, and Rochester would operate an experiential learning center.

The Tunbridge and Chelsea merger, if voters approve, would likely see a shared middle school in the two towns, and school choice for high school.

Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.