(a) The fiscal year of a regional school district shall be July first to June thirtieth. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, not less than two weeks before the annual meeting held pursuant to § 10-47, the board shall hold a public district meeting to present a proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Any public district meeting held pursuant to this section may be accessible to the public by means of electronic equipment or by means of electronic equipment in conjunction with an in-person meeting, in accordance with the provisions of § 1-225a. Any person may recommend the inclusion or deletion of expenditures at such time. After the public hearing, the board shall prepare an annual budget for the next fiscal year, make available on request copies thereof and deliver a reasonable number to the town clerk of each of the towns in the district at least five days before the annual meeting. At the annual meeting on the first Monday in May, the board shall present a budget which includes a statement of (1) estimated receipts and expenditures for the next fiscal year, (2) estimated receipts and expenditures for the current fiscal year, (3) estimated surplus or deficit in operating funds at the end of the current fiscal year, (4) bonded or other debt, (5) estimated per pupil expenditure for the current and for the next fiscal year, and (6) such other information as is necessary in the opinion of the board. Persons present and eligible to vote under § 7-6 may accept or reject the proposed budget except as provided below. No person who is eligible to vote in more than one town in the regional school district is eligible to cast more than one vote on any issue considered at a regional school district meeting or referendum held pursuant to this section. Any person who violates this section by fraudulently casting more than one vote or ballot per issue shall be fined not more than three thousand five hundred dollars and shall be imprisoned not more than two years and shall be disenfranchised. The regional board of education may, in the call to the meeting, designate that the vote on the motion to adopt the budget shall be by paper ballots at the district meeting held on the budget or by a “yes” or “no” vote on the voting tabulators in each of the member towns on the day following the district meeting. If submitted to a vote by voting tabulator, questions may be included on the ballot for persons voting “no” to indicate whether the budget is too high or too low, provided the vote on such questions shall be for advisory purposes only and not binding upon the board. Two hundred or more persons qualified to vote in any regional district meeting called to adopt a budget may petition the regional board, in writing, at least three days prior to such meeting, requesting that any item or items on the call of such meeting be submitted to the persons qualified to vote in the meeting for a vote by paper ballot or on the voting tabulators in each of the member towns on the day following the district meeting and in accordance with the appropriate procedures provided in § 7-7. If a majority of such persons voting reject the budget, the board shall, within four weeks thereafter and upon notice of not less than one week, call a district meeting to consider the same or an amended budget. Such meetings shall be convened at such intervals until a budget is approved. If the budget is not approved before the beginning of a fiscal year, the disbursing officer for each member town, or the designee of such officer, shall make necessary expenditures to such district in amounts equal to the total of the town’s appropriation to the district for the previous year and the town’s proportionate share in any increment in debt service over the previous fiscal year, pursuant to § 7-405 until the budget is approved. The town shall receive credit for such expenditures once the budget is approved for the fiscal year. After the budget is approved, the board shall estimate the share of the net expenses to be paid by each member town in accordance with subsection (b) of this section and notify the treasurer thereof. With respect to adoption of a budget for the period from the organization of the board to the beginning of the first full fiscal year, the board may use the above procedure at any time within such period. If the board needs to submit a supplementary budget, the general procedure specified in this section shall be used.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “net expenses” means estimated expenditures, including estimated capital expenditures, less estimated receipts as presented in a regional school district budget. On the date or dates fixed by the board, each town in the district shall pay a share of the cost of capital outlay, including costs for school building projects under chapter 173, and current expenditures necessary for the operation of the district. The board shall determine the amount to be paid by each member town as follows: (1) In an amount that bears the same ratio to the net expenses of the district as the number of pupils resident in such town in average daily membership in the regional school district during the preceding school year bears to the total number of such pupils in all the member towns, provided that the board may recalculate such amount based on the number of pupils in average daily membership in the regional school district for the current school year and may adjust each member town’s payment to the regional school district for the following fiscal year by the difference between the last such payment and the recalculated amount, or (2) in an amount established pursuant to an agreement, approved by the State Board of Education, among such member towns, provided if the payment by any such member town deviates in an amount that is greater than or equal to one per cent of the amount established in such agreement, the state board shall review and may approve or reject such deviation. Until the regional school district has been in operation for one year, such amounts shall be based on the average daily membership of pupils in like grades from each of such towns at any school at which children were in attendance at the expense of such towns during the preceding school year or in accordance with the provisions of the agreement between the member towns described in subdivision (2) of this subsection.

(c) The board shall deposit or invest temporarily any funds which are not needed immediately for the operation of the school district as permitted in § 7-400 or 7-402. Any income derived from such deposits or investments shall be used at least semiannually to reduce the net expenses. The board shall use any budget appropriation which has not been expended by the end of the fiscal year to reduce the net expenses of the district for the following fiscal year. The board may borrow funds temporarily and issue notes or other obligations, and pay interest thereon, in anticipation of payments to be made to it by a member town or the state, for the operation of its schools. Such notes or obligations shall be authorized by resolution of the board, and shall be general obligations of the regional school district and its member towns. The date, maturity, interest rate, form, manner of sale and other terms of such notes or other obligations shall be determined by the board or any officer or body to whom the board delegates authority to make such determinations. Such notes may be renewed from time to time, provided all such notes shall mature and be payable no later than the end of the fiscal year during which such member town or state payments are payable.

(d) (1) Prior to June 7, 2006, upon the recommendation and the approval of a majority of members on the board, a regional board of education may create a reserve fund to finance a specific capital improvement or the acquisition of any specific piece of equipment. Such fund shall thereafter be termed “reserve fund for specific capital improvements or equipment purchases”. No annual appropriation to such fund shall exceed one per cent of the annual district budget. Appropriations to such fund shall be included in the share of net expenses to be paid by each member town until the fund established pursuant to this subdivision is discontinued. The board shall annually submit a complete and detailed report of the condition of such fund to the member towns. Such fund may be discontinued, after recommendation by the board and approval by the board, and any amounts held in the fund shall be transferred to the general fund of the district.

(2) On and after June 7, 2006, a regional board of education, by a majority vote of its members, may create a reserve fund for capital and nonrecurring expenditures. Such fund shall thereafter be termed “reserve fund for capital and nonrecurring expenditures”. The aggregate amount of annual and supplemental appropriations by a district to such fund shall not exceed two per cent of the annual district budget for such fiscal year. Annual appropriations to such fund shall be included in the share of net expenses to be paid by each member town. Supplemental appropriations to such fund may be made from estimated fiscal year end surplus in operating funds. Interest and investment earnings received with respect to amounts held in the fund shall be credited to such fund. The board shall annually submit a complete and detailed report of the condition of such fund to the member towns. Upon the recommendation and approval by the regional board of education, any part or the whole of such fund may be used for capital and nonrecurring expenditures, but such use shall be restricted to the funding of all or part of the planning, construction, reconstruction or acquisition of any specific capital improvement or the acquisition of any specific item of equipment. Upon the approval of any such expenditure an appropriation shall be set up, plainly designated for the project or acquisition for which it has been authorized, and such unexpended appropriation may be continued until such project or acquisition is completed. Any unexpended portion of such appropriation remaining after such completion shall revert to said fund. If any authorized appropriation is set up pursuant to the provisions of this subsection and through unforeseen circumstances the completion of the project or acquisition for which such appropriation has been designated is impossible to attain the board, by a majority vote of its members, may terminate such appropriation which then shall no longer be in effect. Such fund may be discontinued, after the recommendation and approval by the regional board of education, and any amounts held in the fund shall be transferred to the general fund of the district.