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Residents and leaders say governance is the main hurdle to Region 4 change
Summary
Attendees and elected officials told the joint boards that Region 4’s governance structure — dozens of board members and weighted regional voting — complicates consensus and implementation; several speakers urged forming or empowering a smaller subcommittee to advance next steps under Connecticut statute.
Several residents, selectmen and board members told the joint meeting that governance — not technical feasibility — is the principal barrier to change in Regional School District 04.
"You have a governance problem," a resident observed during public comment after CES’s presentation, echoing multiple speakers who said the district’s 33 board seats, weighted votes and separate town interests make reaching consensus difficult. Selectmen and town officials said they planned follow‑up coordination and noted a subcommittee previously created by the board could be reactivated to work through statutory steps.
Alex (surname not specified in the transcript) and other speakers urged the board to identify 'step A, step B, step C'—concrete procedural milestones — and to produce legal guidance from Shipman & Goodwin about the statutory path forward (10‑39b and related provisions were referenced during the meeting). Superintendent Brian White and other leaders said a meeting is scheduled for the joint board to revisit statutory requirements and that legal language from prior counsel will be shared at that meeting.
Speakers also raised the question of board size and voting apportionment; a local participant summarized regional voting weights cited in the discussion (Essex 1.2, Chester 0.8, Deep River 1.0) and recommended transparent public guidance explaining how any governance changes would be accomplished. Several commenters recommended creating a small empowered committee to translate the study into an actionable work plan for the towns to consider.
