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RSU 18 board denies Town of Sydney request to use James H. Bean School as polling place
Summary
After extended debate about student safety, policy KFB constraints and alternative sites, the RSU 18 board voted to deny the Town of Sydney's request to use James H. Bean School as a polling location on Nov. 3, citing disruption to students and the need to follow facility‑use policy and statutory timelines.
Representatives from the Town of Sydney, including town chairman John Whitcomb and town clerk Macy Eubank, appeared before the RSU 18 School Board to request use of James H. Bean School as a polling location for the Nov. 3 election. Macy Eubank told the board that Sydney has 3,335 active registered voters and that Secretary of State rules typically require one voting table per 200 voters plus an accessible voting station; she said the town office could not physically accommodate the layout and accessibility needs and presented an approved layout for the school.
Board members repeatedly raised student‑safety and precedent concerns. One longtime board member urged the board to “stand for our students” and warned that allowing a full‑day closure would set a precedent for other communities. The board noted policy KFB and KFB‑1, which limit facility use to non‑school hours and require formal requests and policy changes to override that restriction. After further discussion about statutory deadlines and feasible alternatives, the board moved to deny the request. The moderator announced the motion carried.
