Board deadlocks on Sydney’s request to use James H. Bean School for Nov. 3 voting

The RSU 18 board could not reach a final decision on whether to allow the town of Sydney to use James H. Bean School as a polling place for the Nov. 3, 2026 election after an extended debate and a tied vote.

The board discussed a request submitted through the superintendent’s office. Superintendent Andy said accommodating voting at the Bean School would “require that students not be in attendance for the day,” citing student safety, traffic management, meal service disruptions and privacy concerns and recommending that, if the board approved the request, the district designate a remote instructional day with staff reporting and structured programming. "These same conditions would apply in November," he said, noting the operational effort and costs involved.

Board members split over whether the town should be permitted to use the facility. Supporters cited community use of school facilities and said a one‑time accommodation could be appropriate if the town cannot secure a certified location. Opponents said allowing voting in the school during instructional hours would set an undesirable precedent, create recurring operational burdens, and shift costs and disruptions onto other towns in the district. Several members pressed that Sydney had had months to identify alternatives since the town used the Bean School in June.

A motion to deny Sydney’s request was made on the floor; the board’s tally resulted in a tie and the motion failed, meaning the board neither approved nor permanently denied the request that night. After the vote, members agreed on next steps focused on information gathering: the board asked that a representative of the town of Sydney attend the board’s next meeting to present substantial reasons and any certification barriers and to demonstrate that alternatives were not feasible. The board signaled that, without that direct presentation and credible alternatives, future requests would likely be denied.

Principal Carrie Brennan, invited to speak about school impact, said from her perspective a polling day at Bean would be "one day less of learning in their classrooms" and that if such an arrangement became regular it would have a larger cumulative effect on students. Superintendent Andy confirmed the district is still finalizing cost estimates stemming from the June accommodation and reiterated his recommendation to evaluate high‑turnout elections on a case‑by‑case basis.

The board did not set a final policy change that night. Members proposed administrative follow‑ups including: the superintendent contacting Sydney select board members to urge them to find a state‑certified alternate site, exploring whether a staff workshop day could be moved so students are not in the building, and requiring a Sydney representative to present at the next meeting before the board considers approval.

The matter remains open; the board’s next meeting will include an invitation for town officials to respond and provide alternatives.