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RSU 18 board declines to adopt a denial of Sydney's Nov. 3 polling request, asks the town to send a representative
Summary
The RSU 18 board debated a Sydney request to use James H. Bean School as a Nov. 3 polling site, citing student-safety and operational disruptions. A motion to deny the request failed on a weighted vote; the board urged Sydney officials to present alternatives at the next meeting.
The RSU 18 Board of Directors debated for roughly three hours whether to allow the town of Sydney to use James H. Bean School as a polling location for the Nov. 3, 2026 election. Members raised concerns about student safety, meal service disruptions and the logistics of separating voters from on-site students.
A board member moved to deny the request; another board member seconded the motion. After extended discussion about alternatives (moving a workshop day, designating a remote-instruction day for one building, or finding nearby venues that meet state certification), the board took a weighted vote that the chair described as 4 to 4. The motion to deny therefore failed and the board did not approve the Sydney request.
Board members who opposed a denial said the school had hosted polling previously and that community use of school facilities is a longstanding practice. Those urging denial cited recurring operational burdens and a precedent that could make the district regularly responsible for accommodating town election needs.
"This will disrupt the school day — students would not be in the building, breakfast and lunch programs would be affected, and traffic and safety concerns are real," the principal of James H. Bean, Carrie Brennan, said, describing the practical impact on students and staff. "As principal, it is my job to advocate to have our students in the building every day scheduled." (Principal Carrie Brennan)
Board members also urged Sydney to pursue alternatives and to appear at the next board meeting with a town representative and written justification. The board signaled it would be unlikely to approve repeated future requests without substantial reasons. One board member proposed a motion to deny the request unless a Sydney official appeared and provided "substantial and significant reasons" at the next meeting; the board directed the superintendent to invite a town representative and to work with the town on alternatives rather than immediately taking final action.
The superintendent's memo to the board, discussed during the meeting, said accommodating voting at James H. Bean requires students to be out of the building for the day for safety, traffic and privacy reasons, and described the June experience as "meaningful and well received" but operationally costly and staff-intensive. The superintendent recommended evaluating each election individually and said he "would not recommend repeating" the June model.
Next steps: the superintendent will follow up with Sydney officials, and the board asked the town to send an official representative to the next meeting to explain why other sites were not feasible and to present alternatives.
