HANOVER — April 29, 2026 — The Hanover School Committee unanimously approved a comprehensive three-year strategic plan and delivered a positive performance evaluation for Superintendent Matthew Ferron Wednesday night. However, the session was dominated by impassioned public testimony from parents who alleged significant safety risks on student athlete buses and stark inequities in how the district funds and maintains different sports programs.
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The meeting opened with a lengthy public comment period where parents from the lacrosse, baseball, and hockey communities voiced frustrations over what they characterized as a “business-like” approach to athletics that prioritizes certain sports over others.
Joanna Doherty, a Hanover resident, raised alarms regarding transportation safety. She noted that while high-profile sports like football and basketball utilize two buses for away games, hockey and lacrosse teams are often forced onto a single bus despite the heavy equipment involved. Doherty described scenes of “large children” sitting in middle aisles because three students cannot fit in a seat with their gear bags, calling the situation “treacherous” during inclement weather.
