Middlebury’s news - without the noise
A date has finally been set for Middlebury's Board of Selectmen special election. Voters will head to the polls June 23th. Meanwhile, the Region 15 school board held its public hearing Monday night on the $224 million bond proposal for two new elementary schools, and at the state level, a homeschool oversight bill cleared a legislative committee that every family with kids at home needs to know about.
Today
Middlebury Special Election Set…and it is on June 23rd
$224 million in Region 15 spending is moving towards reality
CT and Homeschooling…something taking shape that should be known
Middlebury's Special Election Is Set for June 23rd
After months of back-and-forth, voters will finally get to weigh in on who fills the vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen.
It took a petition drive, a disputed appointment, a FOI complaint over meeting minutes, and two failed votes to set a date, but Middlebury's Board of Selectmen special election is now officially on the calendar and it is Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026.
The seat became vacant last December when Jennifer Mahr moved from selectwoman to first selectwoman. A panel of five town officials appointed Republican Brian Shaban to fill it in January, but 416 residents signed a petition to force a proper election. The Board of Selectmen then went back and forth for weeks on setting a date, with Mahr pushing for June 2nd and Selectmen Shaban and J. Paul Vance repeatedly delaying. The Connecticut Secretary of State's office has now posted the June 23rd special election calendar.
The seat Shaban currently holds was set to run through 2027. Shaban is expected to run as the Republican endorsed candidate in the race. No Democratic candidate has been publicly named.
For Middlebury residents, the election puts a three-person Board of Selectmen that has struggled to find consensus on basic calendar questions back in front of voters just as the town is heading into its budget season. The budget referendum is May 6th, and the special election follows roughly seven weeks later.
[Update] Region 15's $224M School Bond Clears Its First Public Hurdle
The Board of Education held its required public hearing Monday night, and the next formal step is a district-wide voter referendum.
The public hearing that Region 15 required before putting a $224 million bond to voters took place Monday evening, March 23rd, at Pomperaug High School in Southbury. Voters from both Middlebury and Southbury were invited to attend and comment.
The bond, if approved, would fund the replacement of two aging elementary schools, Pomperaug Elementary and Gainfield Elementary. The Board of Education says state grants are expected to cover an estimated 64.2% of eligible project costs, bringing the towns' out-of-pocket share down substantially. Even so, the net borrowing still represents a significant long-term commitment.
The public hearing is a required procedural step before a district-wide referendum can be scheduled. A date for that vote has not been announced. Residents in both Middlebury and Southbury will cast ballots when it does go to a vote, though given the population difference between the towns, Southbury voters historically drive the outcome. Middlebury has four seats on the ten-member Region 15 Board of Education and Southbury holds six. For Middlebury homeowners, the pending mill rate decision tied to the property revaluation makes the timing of any additional long-term school debt a live concern.
CT's Homeschool Bill Just Got One Step Closer to Becoming Law
A state Education Committee vote last week would, for the first time, require families who pull kids from public school to register with the state and prove they're teaching them.
Connecticut families who homeschool their kids may soon face requirements they've never had to deal with. House Bill 5468 cleared the state's Education Committee last Wednesday, March 19th on a 26-20 vote with four Democrats joining all 16 Republicans in opposition.
Under the bill, any parent who wants to withdraw a child from public school to homeschool them would have to appear in person at their school district and reaffirm that intention every year. Two days after notice, the district would contact the Department of Children and Families to check whether the parent is the subject of a protective order or on the abuse registry. If not, they can proceed.
Parents would also need to show ongoing evidence of "equivalent instruction", options include submitting a portfolio or having their child take a state mastery exam and keep records for three years.
The bill still needs to pass the full House and Senate and earn Governor Lamont's signature. It drew thousands of pieces of written testimony, most against. Connecticut is one of twelve states with no homeschool regulation, and the legislation came in response to two high-profile cases involving children pulled from school who were later harmed. It would only apply to families who begin homeschooling after the law takes effect, currently projected for the 2028-2029 school year. Middlebury families currently homeschooling would be exempt.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, March 28 — Annual Easter Egg Hunt, 12:30 p.m., location TBD
Tuesday, March 31 — Tax Relief Committee meeting, 6:00 p.m., Town Hall
Tuesday, March 31 — Conservation Commission, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall
Wednesday, April 1 — Land Preservation & Open Space Commission, 7:00 p.m., Town Hall
Tuesday, April 7 — Town budget public hearing, 6:30 p.m., Larkin Room, Middlebury Public Library
Have a great day,
-Middlebury Morning