Regional boards of education shall have all the powers and duties conferred upon boards of education by the general statutes not inconsistent with the provisions of this part. Such boards may purchase, lease or rent property for school purposes and, as part of the purchase price may assume and agree to pay any bonds or other capital indebtedness issued by a town for any land and buildings so purchased; shall perform all acts required to implement the plan of the committee for the transfer of property from the participating towns to the regional school district and may build, add to or equip schools for the benefit of the towns comprising the district. Such boards may receive gifts of real and personal property for the purposes of the regional school districts. The regional school district annual meeting shall be the district meeting at which the annual budget is first presented for adoption and shall be held the first Monday or the first Tuesday in May. The boards may convene special district meetings when they deem it necessary. District meetings shall be warned and conducted in the same manner as are town meetings. For such purposes, the chairperson of the board shall have the duties of the board of selectmen and the secretary shall have the duties of the town clerk.