All towns · sau-11

BEDG - Meeting Minutes

Document

DOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT 
POLICY CODE:  BEDG  
DATE OF ADOPTION:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025 
PAGE 1 OF 6 
 
MEETING MINUTES 
 
A. Minutes Required. 
Under RSA 91-A, the School Board, and each of the Board's committees (irrespective of 
whether standing or ad hoc, and irrespective of whether deemed a sub-committee or an 
advisory committee) is required to keep minutes for every "meeting" as defined under 91-A:2, 
I.  As used below, "Board" shall mean and include the District School Board, and each such 
Board committee. 
The Board will appoint a recording clerk/minute taker to prepare the minutes of each meeting. 
Should the person appointed be absent from all or part of a meeting (e.g., non-public session), 
the Chair, subject to being overruled by the Board, shall appoint a person to take the minutes. 
In addition to “minutes” as described below, a more comprehensive “record” and/or “decision” 
may be required in the event of a “hearing” regarding individual rights/claims (e.g., teacher non-
renewal, student expulsion, manifest educational hardship, etc.).  In such instances, the Board 
and/or superintendent should consult with counsel to assure that any statutory or regulatory 
requirements are satisfied. 
B. Required Content of Minutes. 
At a minimum, all minutes, including minutes of non-public sessions, must include: 
1. the names of members participating; 
2. persons appearing before or addressing the School Board (members of the public who do 
not address the Board, and are there as attendees only, do not need to be identified); 
3. a brief description of each subject matter discussed; 
4. identification of each member who made a first or second of any motion; 
5. a record of all final decisions; 
6. when a recorded or roll call vote on a motion is required by law or called for by the Chair (or 
other presiding officer), a record of how each board member voted on the motion;  
7. in the event that a Board member objects to the subject matter discussed by the Board, if 
the Board continues the discussion above the member's objection, and upon the request of 
the objecting member, then - and irrespective of whether the objection/discussion occurred 
in public or non-public session - the public minutes shall also reflect (i) the objecting 
member's name, (ii) a statement that the member objected, and (iii) a "reference to the 
provision of RSA 91-A:3, II that was the basis for the objection and discussion."  (See RSA 
91-A:2, II-a.). 
8. the name of the person who produced or prepared the minutes (i.e., minute taker/recording 
clerk; and 
9. the start and end times of the meeting. 

DOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT 
POLICY CODE:  BEDG  
DATE OF ADOPTION:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025 
PAGE 2 OF 6 
 
NOTE: See Section D below for additional content requirements for minutes of any meeting at 
which the Board enters a non-public session.   
C. Approval and Access to Minutes.  
Approval and availability of minutes will depend in part on whether the minutes are of a public 
or non-public session, and as to non-public minutes, whether they are sealed or not.   
“Approved minutes” refers to the final version of minutes approved by vote of the Board.  “Draft 
minutes” refers to minutes that have not been formally approved by the Board.  “Sealed 
minutes” refers to minutes from a non-public session and which the Board has determined 
should not be disclosed pursuant to RSA 91-A:3, III and as discussed in Section D, and 
paragraph C5, below.  
1. Location and Retention of Minutes.  In accordance with Board policy EH, and N.H. 
Department of Education rule Ed 302.02 (j), all minutes will be kept at the office of the 
superintendent.  Minutes for non-public sessions that have not been sealed shall be kept in 
the same location and indexed in the same manner as for public minutes. 
2. Access to Approved & Unsealed Minutes.  Approved and unsealed minutes shall be 
available for inspection by the public during the normal business hours of the SAU office, 
and in accordance with RSA 91-A:2 through 91-A:4 (subject to the exemptions stated in 
RSA 91-A:5), and Board policy EH. Requests for access to minutes shall be processed in 
accordance with district administrative procedures EH-R. 
Additionally, all approved and unsealed minutes shall be posted in a consistent and 
reasonably accessible location on the district's website, or the website shall contain a 
notice describing where the minutes may be reviewed, and copies requested.   
3. Access to Draft Minutes and Minute Preparation Materials.  “Draft” or “unapproved” minutes 
that have not been sealed will be available for inspection upon request at the SAU office 
during normal business hours.  Drafts for public sessions must be available within 5 
business days of the meeting, while drafts of non-public session minutes that have not 
been sealed by the Board must be available within 72 hours (3 calendar days) of the 
meeting. 
Notes and other materials used in the preparation of the minutes must be retained until the 
minutes are approved or finalized and shall be available for inspection during that period.   
4. Approval of All Minutes Other Than Sealed.  Draft public minutes and non-public minutes 
that were not sealed will be sent to the members of the Board before the meeting at which 
they are to be approved.  Board members may send suggested changes back to the 
minute recorder without copying the other members. Changes made by the Board to draft 
minutes shall be recorded either by (i) retaining the draft with the final approved minutes, 
(ii) including notations (e.g., “redline” edits) in the final approved minutes, or (iii) outlined in 
the minutes of the meeting at which the Board approved.    
5. Approval of Sealed Non-Public Minutes of Non-Public Sessions.  Unless previously sealed 
by the Board, draft minutes for all non-public sessions will be made available for public 
inspection within seventy-two (72) hours after the non-public session. 

DOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT 
POLICY CODE:  BEDG  
DATE OF ADOPTION:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025 
PAGE 3 OF 6 
 
Drafts of non-public minutes will be provided to the Board, either (i) at the conclusion of the 
non-public session and may be approved at the time, prior to any vote to seal, or (ii) if 
sealed, provided to the Board at the meeting, if any, at which they are to be approved.  If 
copies of draft sealed minutes are provided to Board members for the purpose of review 
and/or approval, the copies shall be recovered by the Chair or recording clerk and 
destroyed.  Only the official record copy may be retained, with a list maintained for sealed 
non-public minutes as described in Section D, below. 
D. Special Provisions for Minutes Relating to Non-Public Sessions.  
For any public meeting that includes a non-public session (see Board policy BEC for statutorily 
required procedures relative to entering and exiting non-public sessions), additional information 
beyond that discussed in paragraphs B.1-7, is required both for the public meeting minutes, 
and for minutes specific to the non-public session, irrespective of whether the non-public 
minutes are “sealed” (see discussion D.2 below).    
1. Information Regarding Non-Public Session Included in Public Minutes.  The public minutes 
of the meeting at which the non-public session occurs must include the statutory reason 
given in the motion as the foundation for each non-public session, as well as a roll call 
record of how each Board member voted on the motion to enter. Public minutes must also 
reflect any motion to seal (described in paragraph C.2., above), along with the statutory 
reason permitting the sealing (see D.2 below), and record how each member voted on the 
motion to seal. 
2. Sealing Non-Public Minutes.   
a. As used in this policy, “sealed” minutes in reference to minutes of non-public sessions, 
means that the Board determined by 2/3 majority vote in public session that “divulgence 
of the information” (i.e., information in the minutes of the non-public session): 
i. Would affect adversely the reputation of a person other than a Board member; 
ii. Would render ineffective the action/proposed action/taken in non-public session; or  
iii. Pertains to matters relating to the preparation for and carrying out of all emergency 
functions intended to thwart a deliberate act intended to result in widespread or 
severe damage to property or widespread injury or loss of life (i.e., terrorism). 
b. A motion to seal, if any, should be the first item of public business after the Board exits 
the non-public session, and must state one of the three grounds above allowing sealing.  
c. If the minutes are not prepared/approved during the non-public sessions itself, the 
Board should discuss the content of the minutes prior to exiting so that any vote to seal 
will be an informed vote.   
d. When making or voting upon a motion to seal, the movant/Board should consider and 
state the duration that minutes be sealed based upon the grounds supporting the 
sealing.  This can be done either by stating a date they are sealed until, or a date by 
which the Board might review the minutes status.  For instance, minutes sealed 
because divulgence of the information would likely affect adversely the reputation of a 

DOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT 
POLICY CODE:  BEDG  
DATE OF ADOPTION:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025 
PAGE 4 OF 6 
 
person other than a member of the Board might remain sealed permanently, while 
minutes sealed because disclosure would “render the action ineffective” should be 
sealed only for as long as that reason exists or is anticipated to exist.  Pursuant to RSA 
91-A:3, III, non-public minutes relating to discussion about lease, purchase or sale of 
property (91-A:3, II(d)) must be made available “as soon as practicable after the 
transaction has closed or the Board has decided not to proceed with the transaction.” 
3. Minutes of the Non-Public Session Itself.  In addition to the information included in all 
minutes as described in paragraphs B.1-7, above, minutes of the non-public session must 
include “all actions” and decisions (i.e., votes, including negative votes) taken by the Board, 
with a record of how each member voted.  If the Board does not “seal” the minutes of the 
non-public session, then such information must be disclosed to the public within 72 hours of 
the close of the meeting. 
4. Sealed Minutes List.  In order to comply with RSA 91-A:3, III, the superintendent is directed 
to maintain a list of all sealed minutes for non-public sessions occurring after July 1, 2021.  
The list (referred to as the “Sealed Minutes List”) shall include: 
a. the name of the public body (e.g., School Board, Policy Committee, etc.); 
b. the date, time and location of the public meeting (from meeting notice); 
c. the start and end times of the non-public session; 
d. the specific grounds upon which the non-public session occurred (e.g., RSA 91-A:3, 
II (b) and (c), etc.); 
e. the specific grounds upon which the minutes were sealed (e.g., “disclosure would 
render the action ineffective” or “disclosure would likely adversely affect the 
reputation of a non-board member,” etc.); 
f. the date the vote to seal the minutes occurred;  
g. the date, if any, stated in the original motion or subsequently, on which the sealed 
minutes will be unsealed; the motion to seal should, when possible, state the date 
the minutes should be unsealed or at least reviewed by the Board or other public 
body; and   
h. the date, if any, of a subsequent decision to unseal the minutes. 
The Sealed Minutes List shall be updated each time the public body seals non-public 
minutes, and the updated List shall be made as soon as practicable for public 
disclosure. 
5. Reviewing and Unsealing Previously Sealed Minutes. Pursuant to RSA 91-A:3, IV, starting 
on October 3, 2023, sealed minutes must either be reviewed within each ten-year period or 
unsealed no later than the expiration of ten years following the date they were sealed or 
last reviewed.  Minutes sealed prior to October 3, 2023, must be reviewed and/or unsealed 
by October 3, 2033. 
E. Procedures 

DOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT 
POLICY CODE:  BEDG  
DATE OF ADOPTION:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025 
PAGE 5 OF 6 
 
The Board establishes the following procedures pursuant to RSA 91-A:3, IV(a) for reviewing 
sealed minutes: 
1. Record of Minutes Sealed Prior to October 3, 2023.  The Board directs the superintendent 
or their designee to compile a log of non-public minutes that have been sealed prior to 
October 3, 2023 ("Record of Minutes Sealed Before 10/3/2023" or "Record") using 
information from the exterior of the envelopes or other available external notations for the 
sealed minutes. The preparation of the Record will include minutes that are also included 
on the Sealed Minutes List kept according to paragraph D, above.  
The preparation of the Record shall not include reviewing the sealed minutes 
themselves.   The Record should include as much of the same information for all 
previously sealed minutes as is required on the Sealed Minutes List (see paragraph D.4, 
above).  The Record of Minutes Sealed Before 10/3/2023 shall be completed no later than 
May 1, 2024.  
Upon completion of the log of previously sealed minutes, the Board will establish a 
schedule for completing a review of all of the previously sealed minutes no later than June 
1, 2033. 
2. Initial Review of Previously and Newly Sealed Minutes.   The Policy Review Committee 
will designate one Board member at the first regular Board meeting following the 
organizational meeting to review all sealed non-public minutes according to the schedule 
established in the Record of Minutes Sealed before 10/3/23, and for those minutes that 
are sealed after 10/3/23 according to the review date appearing on the Sealed Minutes 
List maintained according to paragraph D. 
If the Reviewing Designee is a committee of more than one, then the initial review of 
sealed minutes shall be conducted in non-public session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3, II (m), 
but only in a duly notice meeting in full compliance with RSA 91-A:2. 
In the initial review, the Reviewing Designee will inspect the sealed minutes to determine 
whether, in the Reviewing Designee's opinion, the reasons (see D.2.A.i-iii, above) that 
justified keeping the minutes from the public (i.e., sealing) under 91-A:3, III still apply.    
NOTE: In years past, 91-A did not require a public motion to seal.  Accordingly, a review of 
non-public minutes - or even public minutes - may not include sufficient information to 
determine what the original circumstances were that justified sealing the minutes.  
If the Reviewing Designee is of the opinion that the reasons initially justifying the sealing of 
the minutes no longer apply, or if the minutes themselves do not include information upon 
which the then current Board could determine that the minutes should not be disclosed, 
then the Reviewing Designee will recommend to the Board that the Board unseal those 
minutes.  
If, however, the Reviewing Designee determines that the reasons justifying non-disclosure 
continue to apply, the Reviewing Designee shall assign a new date - within 9 years and 10 
months thereafter - for the sealed minutes to be reviewed next.  The Reviewing Designee 
will assure that the Sealed Minutes List maintained pursuant to paragraph D.4 is updated 

DOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT 
POLICY CODE:  BEDG  
DATE OF ADOPTION:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025 
PAGE 6 OF 6 
 
to reflect the new date, and any additional data pertaining to the sealed minutes required 
by the list which was not previously discernible from external sources.   
3. Board Determination Whether to Disclose Previously Sealed Minutes.  Upon receipt of 
recommendations from the Reviewing Designee that previously sealed minutes should be 
disclosed, the Board will review such minutes in non-public session under RSA 91-A:3, 
II(m) to determine whether the circumstances that justified keeping meeting minutes from 
the public under RSA 91-A:3, III no longer apply.  
While the Board's review and discussion regarding previously sealed minutes may occur in 
non-public session, pursuant to RSA 91-A:3, II(m) any vote by the Board whether to 
disclose minutes shall take place in public session. 
If the Board votes to disclose/unseal, the minutes shall be available for release to the 
public within 72 hours. 
Policy History: 
Adopted February 10, 2020 
Revised November 8, 2021 
Revised December 11, 2023 
Revised November 10, 2025