Addressing Tomorrow’s Challenges

TOGETHER

Through our collaborative Together2030 initiative, Dover City Schools is looking ahead and planning for our students’ future on two key fronts: setting a clear Strategic Plan for where our district is headed and crafting a Facility Master Plan to ensure our schools give our kids the best possible places to learn.

TAKE THE COMMUNITY SURVEY

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STRATEGIC PLANNING FACILITY MASTER PLANNING

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Setting the Direction for Dover’s Future

A strategic plan shouldn’t be created behind closed doors—it needs to reflect the genuine voices, ideas, and priorities of our community. Over the next several months, Dover City Schools is partnering with Frederick Advisors to launch a broad, community-wide strategic planning process. Together, we are building a clear, practical roadmap that will guide our district through 2030 and beyond.

Driven by Community Input

We are committed to making this process accessible and transparent for everyone—parents, teachers, staff, students, and Dover residents who may not currently have children in our schools. Every perspective helps shape our future.

District-Wide Survey
District-Wide Survey

A broad community survey designed to take the pulse of our district and uncover what matters most to our residents. We will target a goal of 800-1,000 unique participants.
Stakeholder Focus Groups & Interviews
Stakeholder Focus Groups & Interviews

In-depth conversations with teachers, staff, board members, students, and local leaders to explore key opportunities in detail.
Open Community Meetings
Open Community Meetings

Public forums (in-person and virtual) where you can hear early themes, share thoughts, and engage directly in the planning process.
A Living, Accountability-Focused Plan
A Living, Accountability-Focused Plan

We aren’t building a report to sit on a shelf. Our partnership with Frederick Advisors includes regular semi-annual check-ins to measure real progress and keep the public updated.

Our Roadmap and Next Steps

Our work begins in August 2026 and will wrap up by the end of the year, leading to formal adoption by the Dover City Schools Board of Education in early 2027. Here is what to expect over the coming months.

Phase 1: Listen and Gather Input

August – October 2026

Launching the community survey.
Conducting focus groups, interviews, and public listening sessions.

Phase 2: Analyze Data and Draft Priorities

November – December 2026

Synthesizing community feedback.
Crafting customized, actionable goals and clear objectives.

Phase 3: Plan Publication and Launch

January 2027

Formal presentation to the Board of Education.
Publishing an interactive, user-friendly strategic guide right here on DoverTogether.com.

Phase 4: Ongoing Updates

2027 – 2030

Semi-annual progress check-ins to keep our community updated on key milestones.

FACILITY MASTER PLANNING

Shaping Safe, Modern Spaces for Our Youngest Learners

Celebrating five years in our new Dover High School reminded us what’s possible when our community comes together around a shared vision. Now, we are turning that same focus toward our elementary and middle school buildings. Work is actively underway to evaluate our K–8 facilities, plan for long-term repairs and updates, and design safe, modern learning spaces where every Dover student can thrive.

Laying the Groundwork

Addressing our elementary and middle school needs is about solving critical physical challenges while being transparent stewards of public dollars. These six key factors, including property preparation steps and financial details, are shaping our facility master planning process.

Reallocation of Funds
In September 2025, the Dover City Schools Board of Education held a public hearing about moving 4.4 inside mills from operating funds to the permanent improvement fund. Following the hearing, the Board approved the change.
Impact for Residents
Because Ohio law currently treats “inside millage” differently than voted levies, this change will increase property taxes for residents by around $154 per $100,000 of home value per year. At the same time, several current proposals at the state level could change these collections options or offset some of these costs by lowering property taxes.
Permanent Improvements
This step is about planning for the future. By law, permanent improvement funds can only be used for buildings, property, and equipment that last at least five years—not for salaries or daily operations.
Repairs and Upgrades
Many of our facilities are aging. Dover Avenue Elementary is now 110 years old. Across the district, we face major roof repairs, heating and cooling upgrades, air quality improvements, and safety updates. These costs only grow as buildings age, which is why investing now is the smarter and more efficient choice for taxpayers.
State Support
Generating a local share of funds also opens the door to accessing more than $50 million in potential state funding through the Ohio Facilities Construction Committee’s Expedited Local Partnership Program.
Purchased Property
In addition, the district has been purchasing property near Dover Middle School to prepare for future construction, improve safety, and ease traffic flow. These purchases have been made with funds already set aside in the capital improvement budget.

A Collaborative, Community-Led Process

The end result of this effort will be a truly community-created master plan. Our approach is deeply collaborative and involves members of the Dover community throughout every step—assembling dedicated committees of residents, staff, students, and administrators to evaluate options together.

Late last year, our Community Advisory Teams completed a series of workshops and visioning sessions to evaluate potential campus layouts, land use, and facility needs. While essential site preparation—such as clearing district-acquired properties near Dover Middle School—is already underway, final master plan concepts and construction timelines remain open as we navigate ongoing funding structure details and work through the legal process. Below, you can explore the updates shared during our advisory team sessions and see how our planning process continues to unfold.