Selectman Brenda Eckstrom Tuesday asked the Board of Selectmen to expel school officials from their Town Hall offices in light of a new School Department policy that would ban voting from taking place at Wareham schools. But school officials say no such policy exists.

Eckstrom said school principals recently told the Town Clerk’s office that the April 5 election will be the last time voting booths will be allowed on school property. The School Department didn’t formally notify the town of the policy change, she said.

Eckstrom suggested the School Department’s second floor offices in Town Hall be revoked if the new policy remained in place for upcoming elections.

In a response during Wednesday's School Committee meeting, Chair Cliff Sylvia said: "There is no School Committee policy that prevents our schools from being used as polling places."

Sylvia said he received a carbon copy of a November 2010 letter sent from Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch to Town Administrator Mark Andrews regarding a discussion about using John W. Decas Elementary School as a polling place. That school is currently the only school used by the town for voting. The school's new principal was concerned about the safety of children on Election Day, especially during early morning drop-off of students, he said.

Sylvia said the rest of the School Committee had no knowledge of the issue because only he, as chair of the committee, received the copy of the letter.

"I find it interesting that all of a sudden this becomes a number one, front page issue," Sylvia said. "But we would be remiss if we didn't listen to our administrators" about safety concerns.

Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch said after the meeting that the Decas Elementary principal contacted the town about the issue in August and a September discussion between the Rabinovitch, the principal, and Town Administrator Mark Andrews followed. The November letter was confirming what was discussed, he said.

The School Committee postponed voting on the 2012 school district calendar on Wednesday so administrators could see if adjustments could be made to accommodate the use of schools as polling locations.

Similar to other towns, Wareham has used the school’s gymnasiums and auditoriums as designated polling locations in the past.

Eckstrom pointed out Tuesday that renting private building space to fit the polling stations could cost the town thousands of dollars more each election. “It comes as a great cost to the community and to the tax payers,” she said.

Selectman Cara Winslow asked the Board to postpone a vote on the matter until the Selectmen can meet with school officials.

“We’re jumping the gun” she told her colleagues, noting there is a year’s time between the April 5 election and the time the new rule would begin. “We’re essentially forcing them to do what we want without any conversation.”

Winslow said she wants to hear the School Department’s reasoning behind the decision, adding that traffic and parking could be a valid problem for the schools on Election Day.

Selectmen Walter Cruz agreed. “Let’s check all the resources we have... instead of play tit-for-tat games,” he said.

Board of Selectmen Chair Jane Donahue concluded the conversation with a decision to invite school officials to attend the April 5 Selectmen meeting to discuss the policy.

“It came to me as a surprise when the School Department said ‘out of the school,’” Donahue said. “I’m in favor of trying to keep elections in the school. It’s an appropriate conversation to have.”

Eckstrom said that if a meeting could not be scheduled between the two groups, she would again ask the Board to vote on her proposal.

Rabinovitch indicated Wednesday that he would be sending Andrews a letter to address the concerns.