Planned district merger in New York is defeated

Southampton, N.Y., voters have rejected a proposal to merge with the Tuckahoe school district. Newsday reports that the merger would have raised taxes in Southampton, but saved millions for the combined school systems in the first year. Tuckahoe residents passed the proposed merger 565 to 35. But Southampton voters rejected it 1,075 to 693. Both districts needed to approve the merger.