DEA president asks board to explain central office raises before personnel vote

John Keniglio, president of the Dover Education Association, used the meeting’s first public-comment period to press the Dover Board of Education for an explanation of central-office salary increases linked to a personnel item on the evening’s agenda.

“I am asking for the reason behind these rather significant central office salary increases,” Keniglio said, identifying himself and noting the comments were not a critique of the individuals named but of the compensation plan. He told the board the association would “watch this vote tonight” to see whether an roughly 11% increase sets a precedent for other staff groups.

Keniglio described scenarios that concern the union — for example, staff asked to pick up additional responsibilities when positions are abolished or assignments shifted, or teachers asked to take an extra period without extra pay — and said such changes could lead to calls for comparable increases across categories of employees. He said the DEA will not open negotiations with the board until fall 2027 but emphasized the union would observe tonight’s actions.

Board members did not take public action in response to Keniglio’s remarks during the comment period; the personnel items later moved for approval as a package during the meeting. The transcript records that board members discussed details of personnel item 12 during the personnel motion and that two trustees cast recorded no votes on one listed subitem (see Votes at a glance).

Why it matters: The union’s public request for clarification places the board’s personnel decisions under visible scrutiny. If salary increases are approved for central-office staff as a method of absorbing work from eliminated positions, teachers and other employee groups may interpret the move as signaling future compensation expectations during negotiations or workload changes.

What the board will do next: Personnel items were considered later in the meeting; the board approved a slate of personnel actions including a reappointment described as subject to a corrective-action/second-chance agreement. The association said it would monitor for similar compensation decisions when workload shifts occur.