The Region 4 Board of Education is continuing its series of discussions on its plan for regionalization, with meetings targeted at residents, staff, and parents all scheduled next month. Administrators are seeking residents’ support to consolidate the existing three-town, five boards of education system under a single regional board.

The next informational forum meeting will be held on Friday, May 1 at 9 a.m. at the Essex Town Hall, followed on Wednesday, May 6 at 9 a.m. at the Deep River Town Hall and Thursday, May 7 at 9 a.m. at the Chester Town Hall; these three meetings will be an informal conversation about regionalization aimed at all citizens.

A meeting for teachers and staff will be held Wednesday, May 6 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the John Wintrhop Middle School auditorium. Meetings specific to parents will be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 8:30 a.m. at the Chester Elementary School; Tuesday, May 26 at 8:30 a.m. at Deep Riv er Elementary School; and Friday, May 29 at 8:30 a.m. at the Essex Elementary School.

The meeting calendar can be viewed at www.reg4.k12.ct.us, where there are also links for questions and comments to be emailed to the committee for consideration.

“This is an ongoing conversation that we want to have with the communities so that all questions and concerns are addressed and everyone’s voices are heard,” said Essex Board of Education Chairman Lon Seidman, who urged people to come out to learn more about the proposed draft plan of regionalization and to ask questions and give comments.

Upon completion of the changes to the proposed draft Regionalization plan, all boards of Education (Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Region 4) will meet, discuss, and vote on whether to move the plan forward to a referendum.