Dover Parks and Recreation and School Budgets Discussed

The Dover-Sherborn Regional School District budget has dominated municipal meetings in both towns for weeks now, especially with their respective town meetings looming within the next month. 

At the Dover Warrant Committee meeting selectmen Carol Lisbon said on Wednesday night that there had been no consensus on what they will do to get the regional school district budget approved.

She stated that, Sherborn Advisory Committee chair Ruth Chamberlin’s comment about sticking with a non-override budget in Sherborn and asking the school district to further cut their budget, which may result in less than level service, was “disturbing” and “unconscionable.”

Lisbon said they’re hoping that a citizen will stand up at the Sherborn Town Meeting and ask the school budget to be amended.

Warrant Committee member Dave Melville said he fears the school district will go to a super town meeting, which is consistent with a warning Superintendent Valerie Spriggs has given at various municipal meetings.

The super town meeting will consist of all members of the Dover and Sherborn. 

Melville stated that in a meeting with Spriggs, she stated that she was involved in a super town meeting in western Massachusetts that had serious repercussions in the community.

Nancy Simms from the Parks and Recreation department came to the Warrant Committee meeting to extend the budget for the department.

Simms announced that the Parks and Recreation Commission voted to move forward with an artificial turf project at the Caryl House and will finance it one hundred percent through private funding. 

The Warrant Committee then voted unanimously to approve an extended budget for the Parks and Recreation Commission.