Dover board approves hires and curriculum changes

The Dover Board of Education approved personnel appointments, curriculum adoptions and policy updates during its May 11 meeting.

Several residents addressed the board during public participation. Amanda Graves spoke about the Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit. Katelynn Griffin discussed the Fair School Funding Plan and the Safeguard Our Schools Resolution. Kari Sommers also spoke about school funding.

The board approved financial reports, invoices for payment and amended appropriations of $100,000 for the food service fund.

Among personnel actions, the board approved classified employee contracts, supplemental contracts and substitute staff appointments for the 2026-27 school year.

The board also approved a three-year contract for Eric Seibert as assistant superintendent beginning Aug. 1, with 10 days of extended service during the 2026-27 school year.

Resignations effective at the end of the current school year were accepted from Kelli Argento, fifth-grade teacher at Dover Avenue Elementary, and Ashley Kline, preschool intervention specialist.

The board approved the hiring of Olivia Durbin as a third-grade teacher at East School, Kelsey Hutchens as a first-grade teacher at South School and Julia Weaver as a gifted intervention specialist at Dover Avenue Elementary for the 2026-27 school year.

Board members accepted the retirement resignation of Dover High School math teacher Brian Miller effective May 29.

Other personnel actions included the transfer of Julie Oswald to special education classroom assistant at East School and the hiring of Jonathan Brugger as a custodian at Dover Middle School and Kelie Ward as a noontime assistant at Dover Avenue Elementary.

The board also approved summer custodial employees Evan Burrier, Cody Conrad, Avery Contini, Warren Robinson, Taryn Shankle and Josh Smith, along with Braylon Mooney and Jacob Thompson for grant-funded technology internships.

In other business, the board appointed the Occupational Medicine Center of Tuscarawas County to conduct driver physicals, random drug testing and post-accident testing for bus and van drivers from May 1 through April 30, 2027.

Board members approved the adoption of new social studies curriculum materials, including TCI Social Studies for grades K-eight, Savvas Learning Company materials for grades nine-12 and McGraw Hill sociology and psychology resources for grades 10-12.

The board also approved updates to policies regarding early entrance to kindergarten, mandatory kindergarten entrance age and misbranded foods and cultivated protein food products.

An out-of-state field trip for the eighth-grade class to Washington, D.C., from May 18-21, 2027, also received approval.

The board entered executive session at 6:40 p.m. to discuss the employment of a public employee or official and returned to open session at 7:28 p.m. No action was taken following the session.

The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m.