(a) Two or more towns may establish a regional school district in accordance with the provisions of this part.

(b) Two or more local or regional school districts may, by vote of their legislative bodies, join in the establishment of a temporary regional school study committee, hereafter referred to as the committee, to study the advisability of establishing a regional school district, and report to the respective towns in accordance with § 10-43. In performing its duties, such committee may employ an architect to assist in estimating the cost of providing school facilities, an appraiser to establish the value of assets of each participating school district and such other professional consultants or personnel as may be needed, provided the committee shall not incur obligations which exceed the moneys received pursuant to § 10-42. The committee shall continue until dissolved pursuant to § 10-43 but no longer than two years from the date of its organization unless the legislative bodies of the participating towns vote to extend the life of the committee for a period not to exceed two years.

(c) Two or more boards of education may conduct a preliminary study of the advisability of establishing a regional school district, and if their findings are affirmative, such boards of education, except as provided below, shall submit a written report to the chief executive officer in each town served by such boards. Within thirty days of the receipt of the report, such officer shall call a meeting of the legislative body of the town which shall consider the report and vote on the question of establishing a temporary regional school study committee pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. In the case of a regional board of education, such board shall call a meeting of the regional school district for such purposes.

(d) A regional school district may participate as a region in any study undertaken pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this section. In the case of a preliminary study, the regional board of education shall submit the written report to a regional school district meeting called to consider the report and vote on the question of joining in the establishment of a temporary regional school study committee pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. A regional school district may vote to appoint five members to a temporary regional school study committee at a regional school district meeting. Two of such members shall be members of the regional board of education. The towns which are members of such regional school district shall be “participating” towns for the purposes of notice, reports and referenda under sections 10-41 to 10-43, inclusive, and § 10-45. If a new regional school district is established by the referenda, the board of education of the regional school district which participated in the study shall be deemed a town board of education for purposes of § 10-46a.