Bells Are Ringin’-July 3, 1970

School Committee Resolves Persistent Bus and Bell Scheduling Complications

Assistant Superintendent James R. Donovan provided strong reassurance to the committee, stating that the long-standing procedural problem “will get cleared up overnight.” Donovan noted the critical structural balance required for the town’s vehicular network, warning that if all public school buildings dismissed students at the exact same hour, it would instantly necessitate an unfeasible fleet of 31 buses simultaneously operating across local routes.

The baseline infrastructure at the time relied upon a more economically consolidated framework of 16 buses. Earlier in the year, the School Committee had debated a sweeping realignment of school hours, but ultimately voted in March against tampering with active schedules in midyear. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Philip O. Coakley presented an “ideal” transportation schedule where all regional public institutions commenced classes simultaneously. However, Dr. Coakley balanced this proposal with fiscal reality, warning the board that “from the point of fiscal responsibility and economic feasibility, this will increase your transportation budget considerably.” To implement a practical resolution, Dr. Coakley requested that the committee grant administrators a flexible 15-minute span within the ideal blueprint to rectify the recurring instances of buses arriving late to schools.

Committee Member Mrs. Rudith Berkowitz, who initially introduced the scheduling grievance for formal review, consented to the administrative handover. “I’m just looking for present assurance, through the bell schedule or the bus schedule, that every kid will get to school on time,” Mrs. Berkowitz emphasized. Following a technical query raised by Donovan, the committee established by absolute consensus that both early openings and late dismissals would be strategically keyed to the late bell schedule.

The meeting progressed into a separate debate regarding teacher recruitment guidelines when the committee evaluated a long-standing anti-nepotism clause. Members voted to completely delete a section of the town’s official hiring policy, originally adopted in 1962, which mandated that the spouse of any active staff member shall not be hired for full-time employment. Dr. Coakley, who had personally recommended the restriction eight years prior, defended his original stance while acknowledging the changing landscape of the local system. “I really believed in it when it was introduced,” Dr. Coakley reflected, though he noted the issue had diminished in successive years. “I did not want to get inbreeding in families which is bad for a school system.“

Mrs. Berkowitz countered that the modern school system had expanded so significantly since 1962 that she “saw no fear any more” regarding institutional inbreeding. Committee Chairman Henry W. Diggs questioned the constitutional validity of the old guideline, openly declaring his belief that the restriction was discriminatory. Member Dr. Thomas A. Couch clinched the vote to abolish the policy by noting that even without the automatic ban, all prospective candidates would still face rigorous individual evaluation by the superintendent.

A sharp, 45-minute argument erupted later in the evening when Member Charles C. Saraca leveled an explicit charge of administrative negligence regarding the historical pattern of building maintenance inspections. Saraca asserted that he received credible testimony from two unnamed town officials revealing that mandatory permits for plumbing and gas work performed inside Norwood public school buildings over the past three years had been completely bypassed, and that no subsequent safety inspections had occurred after completion. Saraca moved that the committee issue a formal letter to the town manager, selectmen, the board of health, and municipal building, plumbing, and gas inspectors warning them that if the “present practice of not requiring permits for plumbing and gas work in the Norwood public school buildings and of not inspecting completed work as required by law were continued, the school committee would notify the state Department of Public Safety.“

Member John J. Cavanaugh immediately challenged the motion as out of order, taking issue with the characterization of the situation as an established “practice.” Chairman Diggs concurred, labeling the wording “an accusation.” Saraca defended his motion, stating, “If they are complying with the law, I’ll apologize,” but ultimately withdrew the proposal when it failed to receive a second. Eugene F. Thayer admonished Saraca for the outburst, stating he was “making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s not that we’re not interested, but we don’t have any control over it.” The committee resolved the matter by instructing Chairman Diggs to conduct private inquiries with town officials to confirm whether proper permits and inspections had been finalized, particularly at the town’s two newest school facilities.

The session also addressed a severe wave of property destruction, with Dr. Coakley reporting that Norwood public schools were experiencing their worst vandalism in six years. The superintendent condemned the acts as being of a “dastardly nature.” Since summer vacation commenced two weeks prior, vandals had inflicted nearly $8,000 worth of structural damage, notably ripping out a 10-foot section of fence at the Oldham School and painting severe profanity across the walls of the Cleveland School. Dr. Coakley revealed that individuals were manufacturing “firebombs” out of beer bottles or tin cans filled with kerosene, lighting them, and throwing them against the exterior structures. “It scores the wall and, if it drops onto the macadam, it eats it,” Dr. Coakley explained, issuing an urgent plea for parents to cooperate with the police to eliminate the destruction.

In lighter business, the committee noted a massive expansion in summer enrollment, with Dr. Coakley reporting 741 students actively registered in Norwood’s summer school program compared to just 129 students five years prior. This exponential growth prompted an administrative recommendation to allocate a $20,000 budget for the upcoming summer session, highlighting a rapid scaling from the $5,000 fund utilized half a decade ago. The grueling night concluded with a unanimous procedural shift; tired of the board’s legendary, exhaustive sessions, Dr. Couch successfully instituted a mandatory 11:15 p.m. adjournment rule for all future meetings, prompting Chairman Diggs to jokingly ask, “Is this a revolt?“

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger