Hanover School Board Packet Summary — August 12, 2026
The Hanover School Board is scheduled to meet at 7:00 p.m. at Ray Elementary School, 26 Reservoir Road in Hanover. The packet centers on policy readings, early planning for the 2027–28 budget, year-end financial reports, changes to the food service program, the Ray School family handbook, and several action items.
Key Items on the Agenda
Ray Elementary Enrollment and 2026–27 Priorities
Principal Kelly Pease is scheduled to report on preparations for the new school year. As of August 10, Ray Elementary had 455 students enrolled, compared with a projection of 451, with 27 classrooms anticipated.
The principal's report identifies two major instructional priorities for 2026–27:
- Implementing the Arts and Letters curriculum across K–5 classrooms, with common curricular resources, assessments, and reading experiences.
- Continuing Professional Learning Communities, with grade-level teams expected to meet weekly to identify essential standards, develop common formative assessments, analyze student learning, and plan interventions.
The report also notes that the first day of school for students is August 26. Current job postings include an office assistant/receptionist, inclusion educational assistants, and 1:1 educational assistants.
2027–28 Budget Planning Begins
The Board is scheduled to discuss draft 2027–28 budget guidelines and a proposed FY28 budget-process timeline. The packet includes the prior 2026–27 budget guidelines as background along with a proposed schedule for the next cycle.
The proposed FY28 process calls for greater strategic alignment among district budget committees and boards. An initial strategic budgeting meeting is contemplated for early September, with the exact date listed as TBD, followed by district budget committee work, guideline adoption, budget presentations, public presentations, and voting later in the cycle.
Major Financial Items
FY26 Year-End Financial Review
Business Administrator Taylor is scheduled to present FY26 year-end financial reports covering the general fund, grants, food service, and special revenues, along with FY25 audit materials.
The general-fund projection is explicitly labeled unaudited. It shows:
- $16,561,770 in total available revenue.
- $15,266,461.03 in projected expenditures including the NH SchoolCare assessment.
- A $930,885.97 projected operational fund balance.
- A $1,425,763.97 projected fund balance available after adding $494,878 in retained 2025 fund balance.
- A $980,000 projected FY26–27 budget surplus offset.
- An unaudited projected FY25–26 total unassigned surplus of $445,763.97.
The supporting notes identify several significant variances. Special education programming shows a projected $934,835.04 favorable balance, attributed in part to vacant educational assistant positions and out-of-district tuition savings. Building maintenance shows a $124,350.29 overage, while custodial services show a $169,070.67 favorable balance; the notes explain that contracted custodial services were used because of vacancies and were offset by unspent custodial salary and benefit funds.
$3.7 Million Expenditure Approval
As part of the consent agenda, the Board is scheduled to consider expenditures from June 12 through July 31, 2026 totaling $3,717,219.82.
The same consent motion is proposed to include approval of the June 10 regular meeting minutes and final approval of three policies.
Food Service Changes
The packet outlines a significant shift in the Ray Elementary food service program for 2026–27. According to the program update, concerns raised during the prior year included processed foods, insufficient scratch cooking, nutrition, portion sizes, and limited use of local foods.
The proposed direction emphasizes:
- More scratch cooking and fresh, nutritious foods.
- Increased sourcing from local farms and vendors.
- Student feedback and taste testing in menu development.
- Culturally diverse menu options.
- Connections among the cafeteria, classroom, and community.
- Continued oversight through a Wellness Committee involving the food-service contractor, administrators, staff, parents, and students.
Ray is expected to follow elements of a Farm to School approach being developed at Marion Cross Elementary School. The packet also says Ray will have a new food service general manager, who had not yet been named in the program plan.
A separate financial update reports that the total amount transferred from the general fund to the food service program for the year is $15,741.84. The original budgeted transfer was $14,400, while the food-service management contract had anticipated a $15,325 net loss.
Policy and Governance Items
Six Policies Under Review
The Board is scheduled to review six policies at different stages of the reading process.
First reading:
- EEAEA — Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Testing — School Bus Drivers
- ILD — Protection of Pupil Rights
- IKB — Homework
Second reading:
- IKFG — Career Exploration, Readiness, Pathways & Credentials
- GBCD — Background Investigation and Criminal Records Check
- DAFB — Equivalence in Instructional Staff and Material
Later in the meeting, the consent agenda includes a recommendation to approve the three policies receiving their second reading: IKFG, GBCD, and DAFB.
Ray School Family Handbook
The Board is scheduled to review the 2026–27 Ray Family Handbook. The agenda states that there are no changes this year, but the handbook remains on the action agenda with a recommendation to approve it as presented.
Reports and Personnel
The agenda includes reports from Board committees, Superintendent Steiner, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Lauren Amrhein. Supporting material for the curriculum and instruction report includes an August Board Report and a Hanover Fiscal Monitoring Final Report.
The Board is also scheduled to enter a nonpublic session for personnel matters under RSA 91-A:3 II (b).
After returning to public session, the agenda calls for the Board to formally appoint three hires that the packet says were accepted by Superintendent Steiner over the summer:
- Jessica Talbot — 1.0 FTE teacher for 2026–27.
- Sarah Finocchiaro — 1.0 FTE teacher for 2026–27.
- Coryne Legare — 1.0 FTE Associate Principal.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The most consequential items are likely to be the Board's first discussion of the FY28 budget process, its review of the unaudited FY26 year-end financial position, and the planned changes to Ray Elementary's food service program. The meeting also moves three policies from second reading to proposed approval while beginning first readings on three additional policies.
The packet schedules two opportunities for public comment, including an early 15-minute public-comment period. The agenda lists the next regular meeting for Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
