Completion of Norwood High School Renovation Remains Uncertain-July 18, 1985

Ernest Paciorkowski, a member of the Permanent Building Construction Committee, stated during the meeting, “Right now I think it will be about three weeks before you could really say what the trend is.” The feasibility of opening the school on schedule depends heavily on several unpredictable factors, most notably the prompt delivery of equipment shipments slated to arrive over the coming weeks. While project stakeholders expressed a cautious hope that the classrooms might be ready, officials acknowledged that other essential areas, such as the gymnasium and the cafeteria, might remain under construction well into the school session.

The renovation project, which first commenced in the spring, is intended to be largely finished by the end of this summer, with any remaining work deferred until next year. School Superintendent James R. Savage, School Committee Chairman Richard Kief, and Norwood High School Principal John Piccirilli recently attended building committee meetings to voice growing concerns about the timeline. School Committee Chairman Richard Kief noted that the committee has urged the project contractor to turn over completed classrooms in phases, rather than waiting for a single handover at the end of the summer, to allow staff to begin preparations. Richard Kief expressed some optimism following recent meetings, stating, “We’re encouraged that they’re on top of it. The classrooms are the prime consideration—that’s what they’re focusing on.“

A major logistical hurdle identified by school officials is the time required for custodians to clean the building once the contractor finishes the heavy construction. To mitigate the labor burden and the risk of a costly overtime situation for custodial staff, committee member Roger Pelletier proposed hiring professional cleaning services to handle the post-construction dust. This discussion followed a recent incident at the Peabody School, where improperly removed insulation resulted in asbestos dust contaminating approximately six cartons of canned goods, plates, and trays in the kitchen, forcing the disposal of the affected materials. Richard Heydecker, the project architect from the firm Korslund, LeNormand & Quann, reported that the State Division of Occupational Hygiene is currently monitoring asbestos levels at the high school, with all remaining asbestos removal expected to be completed within two weeks.

In other administrative action, the committee voted to allocate $3,000 for painting approximately 1,000 hallway lockers. While Ernest Paciorkowski opposed the expenditure, arguing that cosmetic improvements were intentionally excluded from the original budget to contain costs, other officials maintained that the visual upgrade would be a valuable investment. As the project enters this critical phase, the Permanent Building Construction Committee continues to press for rigorous adherence to the schedule to ensure that the primary educational environment—the classrooms—remains the focus of the contractor’s final push.

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