Dayton school board fights division, sideshow-like atmosphere

Dayton’s school board has had many heated and confusing meetings in the past year — with chanting crowds opposing layoffs, uncertainty over proper procedure, plus outbursts and arguments between audience members and the board.

Tuesday night’s meeting debate over administrator David Lawrence’s resignation illustrated the sideshow-like feel that some meetings of Dayton’s divided board have taken on.

The school board first argued Tuesday over whether they should even vote on the Lawrence settlement, which had been the subject of numerous executive sessions in recent months, resulting in an agreement that Lawrence had signed two days earlier.

Once they decided to proceed, the board didn’t realize where Lawrence’s resignation was on the agenda, coming seconds away from approving it unnoticed as part of a larger human resources agenda.

READ MORE ABOUT RECENT ISSUES AT DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD MEETINGS

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