by Joseph Gresser
Voters across the Orleans central school union went to the polls Tuesday and chose Barbara Postman to replace Mike Connor as Brownington’s representative on the Lake Region Union High School Board. Ms. Postman received 204 votes to Mr. Connor’s 109.
In the other contested race, Jesse Coe defeated Joshua Rutherford to take the Barton seat on the high school board vacated when incumbent Toni Eubanks decided not to seek re-election. Mr. Coe had 260 votes, while Mr. Rutherford garnered 44.
The Lake Region Middle and Elementary School Board went out on a limb by issuing contracts to teachers without having a voter-approved budget in hand. The board’s confidence was rewarded when the $12.7-million got the nod by a comfortable 293 to 53 margin.
No one put their name forward to represent Orleans on the high school board, but Rachel Maxwell collected 62 write-in votes. Her nearest rival was Patrick Butterfield, who had 44.
Moderator Bill Davies, Clerk Kristin Atwood, and Treasurer Shelia Martin all ran unopposed and, unsurprisingly, won handily. Many people who went to the polls Tuesday may have had a sense of déjà vu when they looked at the ballot. Not so those who cast their votes in Westmore.
According to Superintendent Bev Davis of the Orleans Central Supervisory Union, which includes both the Lake Region Union High School and Lake Region Middle and Elementary School districts, all member towns should have cast ballots on March 2, Town Meeting Day.
Voters were asked to choose board representatives from several member towns and to decide whether to approve the middle and elementary school district budget.
One of the changes called for by the district consolidation that took place under Act 46 was that all residents of the district have their say on representatives from each town.
For instance, a person representing Albany on the board would have to live in the town, but would be elected with votes from people who live in every town in the district.
Ms. Davis said the process hit a snag when a voter asked Westmore Town Clerk Melissa Zebrowski for the school ballot, and Ms. Zebrowski realized her town had not prepared for the vote.
She called Kristin Atwood, who is both Barton’s Town Clerk and the clerk for the school board, and she spoke with Ms. Davis, who phoned Secretary of State Jim Condos to ask for advice.
Under ordinary circumstances, Ms. Davis said, each town would count its own ballots and forward the results to the district. Having one town that did not vote threw a bit of a monkey wrench in the process.
Fortunately, said Ms. Davis, the district board was scheduled to meet that night to decide on a course of action. They faced a bit of a difficulty. Without a vote, the middle and elementary school district lacked an approved budget just at the time of year when staff contracts were due to be renewed.
The board nevertheless chose to follow Mr. Condos’ counsel to count none of the ballots and schedule a new vote for April 13. Board members also decided to accept the risk and offer new contract renewals to staff members.
In the end, Ms. Davis said, the district is slated to receive around $8-million in COVID mitigation money, so the budget issue is not as critical in deciding about contracts.
Ms. Atwood said those who voted in March will see only one slight difference in the ballots this time around, a change in the date at the top of the page.
The list of candidates remained the same with Jesse Coe running against Joshua Rutherford “For School Director to the Lake Region Union High School District from within the boundaries of the former Barton Incorporated School District.”
Toni Eubanks, who previously held the position decided not to run again this year.
From within the boundaries of the former Brownington district comes a matchup between Mike Connor, a current member of the high school board and Barbara Postman.
There is one uncontested race for a high school board seat, Jennifer Edlund of Irasburg is looking to be reelected. No one put their name forward to represent Orleans on the Lake Region Union High School board, so that office will go to a write-in candidate if one receives enough votes.
As with all the races, people from all over the district can help pick the people representing those towns.
There are uncontested elections for members of the middle and elementary school board, Matthew Kittredge is running for another term from Albany, Debbie Brunelle seeks another three years as Brownington’s representative, Daniel Demaine of Glover and Megan Valley of Westmore, also seek reelection.
Voters will also be asked to return Ms. Atwood as clerk and Shelia Martin as treasurer and to approve a $12.7-million budget.
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