A low number of tri-town voters overwhelmingly approved the Region 4 budget for 2023-’24 while also supporting bonding for improvements to outdoor athletics facilities at John Winthrop Middle School (JWMS) and Valley Regional High School (VRHS).

With fewer than 14% of the district’s registered voters turning out to cast ballots at the May 2 referendum, the Region 4 budget passed, garnering 69% of the vote. The $9.9 athletic fields package passed with 57.93% of votes.

Chester voters voted to approve the Region 4 budget 304-151. Deep River voters approved the measure 323-246, and Essex voters voted 486-103. The athletics facilities and fields bonding initiative was rejected by Deep River voters 261-309, while Chester voters narrowly approved the request 237-220. Essex voters approved the initiative 437-150.

Proposed improvements at VRHS include the stadium complex, baseball and softball fields, upper field, practice field, and tennis courts. At JWMS, the proposal includes two soccer fields. Additionally, the plan calls for constructing two new soccer fields with parking lots on the north side of the VRHS campus.

These facilities will undergo improvements, including reconstruction, better drainage and irrigation systems, and greater safety and accessibility to their users and observers.

According to White, the facilities will also be reconstructed to meet Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

“If you’re somebody who was wheelchair bound, if you had some other disability that made it hard to physically get from like a parking space to the field, we don’t have good pathways, paved surfaces, wide enough walkways...that would enable somebody to actually get out to a field,” White said.

With the bond request approved, improvements to outdoor athletic facilities at both JWMS and VRHS are expected to get underway in the spring of 2024. According to Region 4 Superintendent of Schools Brian White, a stakeholder committee will be established later this month.

Staff writer Aaron Rubin contributed to this report.