Dover board approves January–March meeting dates, will revisit remainder after coordination with town

At the Jan. 9 reorganization meeting the Dover Board of Education discussed conflicts between its proposed 2024 meeting dates and dates already adopted by the Dover Town Council and approved the January through March dates while deferring approval of the remaining months.

Board members said six proposed meeting dates (May, June, July, August, October and December) conflicted with council dates or required further administrative input; April raised an additional scheduling issue because the earliest practicable date for a required budget vote falls on Thursday, April 24, rather than the board’s customary Tuesday meeting pattern. Members discussed advertising and public-notice obligations if dates are changed.

The board agreed by roll call to approve the January, February and March meeting dates now and to circulate alternative dates for April through December to finalize at the board’s next regular meeting. The vote recorded affirmative responses from the board members present. Several members urged the district to coordinate with the town in advance to avoid recurring conflicts in future years.

The board also discussed that some committee appointments historically have been made by the president without a board vote, but Dover’s past practice has been to record them formally; trustees agreed to exchange preferences by email to the president and vice president ahead of the next meeting.