By Wiley Wood

When regionalization was first discussed publicly two years ago, one farsighted Norfolk resident said it would never work: an obscure state statute stood in the way. But at the Norfolk-Colebrook Study Group’s regular November meeting, attorney Matthew Venhorst said that a path forward had been charted.

The plan is to have the State Department of Education submit a special act to the state legislature at the beginning of the legislative session in January 2015. “A ‘special act’ is distinguished from a ‘public act,’” said Venhorst. “It doesn’t go in the statutes but is tailored to a particular situation.” The language of the special act will be drafted by the study group’s lawyer and presented to a subcommittee of the State Board of Education for approval. If approved, it will be included in the legislative package that the Department of Education presents to the legislature for the upcoming session, which runs from January to May.

On the agenda for the regionalization group’s January meeting are two major items: the terms of the lease that will govern the use of the Botelle building by the new regional board; and how to ensure that important votes of the board will be supported by members of both towns.